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Saturday, July 27, 2019

Reflecting on George Dawson

I wondered what had ever happened to my Ph.D. advisor, George Dawson, and found that he had passed away:
George Albert Dawson age 76, passed away in New Zealand on November 4, 2011 of heart disease after a valiant battle with Alzheimers. He was born in 1934 in Newcastle, England to George and Elizabeth Dawson and had one sibling, Celia, who predeceased him by less than a month. ... George was passionate about science, physics and chemistry (atmospheric physics and lightning especially). He was a gifted teacher and researcher and influenced the lives and careers of many young people. He taught at Keele University (England), Cal Berkeley and the University of Arizona for many years, where he became a Professor Emeritus. George loved to travel and divided his time between Arizona, Hawaii and New Zealand. He enjoyed participating in sports (soccer, golf and badminton), loved hiking and the outdoors (except gardening). He loved music, animals, antiques and collecting and repairing French clocks and musical instruments. He was a gentle soul and forever an optimist.
I find it difficult to think of him suffering from Alzheimers. That is just wrong. People are so fragile.

1 comment:

  1. People are fragile. But your memory of him endures, and mattera, and he lives on in the way he touched your life. It may mot be enough, but it is something. And he sounds like a lovely person who enjoyed his life and gave back to the world through fully being himself.

    As do you.

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