Something real

Mary Kate Bole sent this October 24:

"My fondest memories of Rick will always be of him running around the planetarium like a kid in a candy store. He had such a youthfulness about him, probably because of the excitement and happiness he found in his work and his life in general. I think there are people in everyone’s life who bring a sort of balance, a calmness, a sense of comfort. For me Rick was one of those people. I loved to stop in the workroom after class, where he would be in his gray sweater, glasses perched on his nose, ready with a new piece of electronics to build, or some slides to crop. Of course he was always ready to listen to the complaints about physics problems or money problems or boyfriend problems that he’d probably heard a hundred times over, but he never seemed to mind. He was always there to listen, buy lunch when you were completely broke, or suggest some creative, and occasionally illegal way to solve a particular problem. He was a true friend.

"Although Rick didn’t teach classes in the physics department officially, all of us who worked for him were his students. The first day I started working for Rick he informed me that he wasn’t sexist, then showed me a stack of 50lb boxes I had to carry up the ladder to the catwalk behind the dome. I knew then I was in for a challenge, but had no idea how much I would really learn from Rick. With him we were able to escape from the theories and equations that often seemed overwhelming, and get our hands on something real. He taught us to machine aluminum, build circuit boards, repair projectors, develop film - things that produced results we could see and touch. He was very particular about the way he wanted things done, especially when carving pumpkins was involved, but he had infinite patience. Working with him allowed us to feel important and needed, and he was quick to give out praise and credit even when it wasn’t deserved. Those things are so important to a college student, they make you believe in yourself.

"Tim and I were married in the planetarium in February of 2004. We couldn’t think of a more important place to us. The planetarium is, to all who have passed through there, a haven. It’s a place filled with excitement and mystery for the children who sit in those chairs and stare up at the stars, and peace and joy for those of us who spent hours there working with Rick. It’s a place where Tim and I found friendship, and where that friendship was able to grow into something more. The amazing feel of that place is no accident. Rick put so much of what he was into the planetarium. His creativity, love, and dedication are literally built into it."