Death and UFOS

[Sentry]

This may not be the best place to post this, but it has to do with passing the torch, or seeing that there is a torch available to pass.

In the May issue of Saucer Smear, Jim Moseley has begun a series of articles called "What Happens When UFO Research Organizations Die?" The first installment tells the tragic tale of what befell the APRO files after the death of Coral Lorenzen. The APRO hands are now in private hands and are not available to researchers.

The article series seems to be focusing on organizations, but individual researchers should make provisions to protect their work after their death as well. I heard that John Keel's files were (at least in part) thrown away after his death. The same thing could have easily happened to Gray Barker's files, but luckily they were saved and are available to the public in the Clarksburg WV library. Most UFO cases are in effect "cold cases". An obscure bit of data could easily prove valuable years later, but if lost or destroyed, future researchers will never see it.

Sadly, we're mortal. Everyone should have a will, but researchers especially should carry it a step further and protect their records.

 

[SoCalGNX]

Many people are sloppy in their personal lives about this sort of thing. It's no surprise it carries over to their professional life.

 

[boomerang]

Small clubs and organizations tend to suffer from long term continuity problems. I remember when S Miles Lewis decided to divest himself of his extensive collection of esoteric literature. Smiles was able to pass it along to a broader organization with a permanent location in Austin that keeps a really cool library. This is unfortunately the exception, and whatever material. most clubs or avid individuals have accumulated usually winds up scattered and lost.

 

[mike]

Small clubs and organizations tend to suffer from long term continuity problems. I remember when S Miles Lewis decided to divest himself of his extensive collection of esoteric literature. Smiles was able to pass it along to a broader organization with a permanent location in Austin that keeps a really cool library. This is unfortunately the exception, and whatever material. most clubs or avid individuals have accumulated usually winds up scattered and lost.

Ive already taken care of my collections, My Sci-Fi library is being donated to a local university who have an already extensive Sci-Fi wing. and my Models and Toys are going to a local Toy and railway museum.
Both organisations have already accepted my offers.
My Body itself is being donated to a university so med students can use it.
Any leftover cash is going to the RSPCA

 

[Randall]

Patricia Robertson - Co-Founder of USI Succumbs to Cancer

On October 21, 2015, Patricia, my life-partner of over 26 years, and co-founder of USI, lost her battle with liver cancer. She was the most genuine and loving person I've ever known, and this is the most heartbreaking thing I've ever experienced. We both shared a belief in alien visitation and we had experienced paranormal phenomena together. So she understood and supported my interest in UFOs and the paranormal. In the earlier days of USI we used to go out driving, and look for ships among the stars, and tune into the original Dreamland AM radio show. The signal had to come all the way from Spokane to Calgary, but at night the old radio in our Chevy wagon picked it up really well. It was a 1972 model with a bench seat the size of a living room couch, so we'd park on some high ground outside the city and sit close and listen and watch the sky, and imagine what it would be like to be taken off to another world. She was a constant inspiration who will be missed by me, her family, her friends and colleagues. No words can describe the depth of my loss.

 

[Heidi Lemmer]

Patricia Robertson - Co-Founder of USI Succumbs to Cancer

On October 21, 2015, Patricia, my life-partner of over 26 years, and co-founder of USI, lost her battle with liver cancer. She was the most genuine and loving person I've ever known, and this is the most heartbreaking thing I've ever experienced. We both shared a belief in alien visitation and we had experienced paranormal phenomena together. So she understood and supported my interest in UFOs and the paranormal. In the earlier days of USI we used to go out driving, and look for ships among the stars, and tune into the original Dreamland AM radio show. The signal had to come all the way from Spokane to Calgary, but at night the old radio in our Chevy wagon picked it up really well. It was a 1972 model with a bench seat the size of a living room couch, so we'd park on some high ground outside the city and sit close and listen and watch the sky, and imagine what it would be like to be taken off to another world. She was a constant inspiration who will be missed by me, her family, her friends and colleagues. No words can describe my loss.

So so sorry Randal. Had no idea this was going on for you. I'm sending you big hugs and can only hope you take good care of yourself these next days. Keep those memories of her alive, through you.

 

[Gene Steinberg]

I'm sorry for your loss.

 

[Wade]

At the risk of sounding clichéd,on those forthcoming days when her absence weighs on your mind just remember the over 9000 days that you did have her with you.

I'm sorry for your loss but perhaps it makes it easier to think of it as God's gain.

 

[boomerang]

Patricia Robertson - Co-Founder of USI Succumbs to Cancer

On October 21, 2015, Patricia, my life-partner of over 26 years, and co-founder of USI, lost her battle with liver cancer. She was the most genuine and loving person I've ever known, and this is the most heartbreaking thing I've ever experienced. We both shared a belief in alien visitation and we had experienced paranormal phenomena together. So she understood and supported my interest in UFOs and the paranormal. In the earlier days of USI we used to go out driving, and look for ships among the stars, and tune into the original Dreamland AM radio show. The signal had to come all the way from Spokane to Calgary, but at night the old radio in our Chevy wagon picked it up really well. It was a 1972 model with a bench seat the size of a living room couch, so we'd park on some high ground outside the city and sit close and listen and watch the sky, and imagine what it would be like to be taken off to another world. She was a constant inspiration who will be missed by me, her family, her friends and colleagues. No words can describe my loss.

Randal, my heart goes out to you. Please accept my most sincere condolences.

 

[Burnt State]

Patricia Robertson - Co-Founder of USI Succumbs to Cancer

On October 21, 2015, Patricia, my life-partner of over 26 years, and co-founder of USI, lost her battle with liver cancer. She was the most genuine and loving person I've ever known, and this is the most heartbreaking thing I've ever experienced. We both shared a belief in alien visitation and we had experienced paranormal phenomena together. So she understood and supported my interest in UFOs and the paranormal. In the earlier days of USI we used to go out driving, and look for ships among the stars, and tune into the original Dreamland AM radio show. The signal had to come all the way from Spokane to Calgary, but at night the old radio in our Chevy wagon picked it up really well. It was a 1972 model with a bench seat the size of a living room couch, so we'd park on some high ground outside the city and sit close and listen and watch the sky, and imagine what it would be like to be taken off to another world. She was a constant inspiration who will be missed by me, her family, her friends and colleagues. No words can describe my loss.

Randal, there are no words of solace to offer either during deep losses like yours. You painted some strong memories and I do hope your focus continues to be on those healing memories. In times of heartache it is so hard to push past the empty pain, just something to live through. But in your memories and in the present you can still celebrate the time you had together. I wish you peace on your journey through the challenges and acceptances to come. Look after yourself during the grieving. Love & live in celebration of the one lost in the way they would want you to. May we all live that way and peace to those out here who have suffered their losses in private, and may continue to do so. Better days and better ways to us all.

 

[Goggs Mackay]

This may not be the best place to post this, but it has to do with passing the torch, or seeing that there is a torch available to pass.

In the May issue of Saucer Smear, Jim Moseley has begun a series of articles called "What Happens When UFO Research Organizations Die?" The first installment tells the tragic tale of what befell the APRO files after the death of Coral Lorenzen. The APRO hands are now in private hands and are not available to researchers.

The article series seems to be focusing on organizations, but individual researchers should make provisions to protect their work after their death as well. I heard that John Keel's files were (at least in part) thrown away after his death. The same thing could have easily happened to Gray Barker's files, but luckily they were saved and are available to the public in the Clarksburg WV library. Most UFO cases are in effect "cold cases". An obscure bit of data could easily prove valuable years later, but if lost or destroyed, future researchers will never see it.

Sadly, we're mortal. Everyone should have a will, but researchers especially should carry it a step further and protect their records.

This is very relevant to the Ray Stanford situation; he has been beavering away supposedly doing unique work on the propulsion of some UFOs, hopefully with some pretty amazing visual evidence from which he has been working. I am one of those people who are putting their faith in the words of the few people to have seen any of this work, primarily Chris O'Brien but a few others too. I personally believe Chris to be an honest person and I do not think for one second he and Stanford are in cahoots trying to fool the UFO public. I mean, where is the upside for Chris if that was the case? He doesn't make any money or fame from speaking up for Ray Stanford - in fact, I'd say being a huge supporter of Stanford is probably sometimes causing Chris more headaches than anything else!
But I sympathise with all those people who quite understandably cannot see much difference with all the other frauds in Ufology who claim to have the smoking gun, 'but you just have to take my word for it' is what they say when you ask to see their evidence. I literally only have my own gut feeling (it's good enough for Special Agent Gibbs!) that Ray is not one of those frauds, I have nothing to prove otherwise.

But as is often said, Ray, like the rest of us, is not getting any younger and he has already suffered one heart attack I believe. Considering this man has been into UFOs since the late 1950's can you imagine that! and he was on the scene at cases such as Soccoro NM, and he had various research projects over the years, such as 'Project Starlight,' he really must have one of the top 5 UFO evidence collections in the whole world.
Of course who knows what a secret U.S Govt. UFO group might have collected over the years but out of the UFO researchers and groups that we are aware of, Ray has been collecting and documenting (to a ridiculous degree too) for decades. Who knows what wonders he might have stashed away?

I really hope Ray has made provisions so that his collections do not disappear when he is gone.

 

[Randall]

... I really hope Ray has made provisions so that his collections do not disappear when he is gone.

I seem to recall that @Christopher O'Brien has made some arrangements with him, and I doubt that if anything happened to Stanford that Chris wouldn't follow-up on it. I think he's even got a line on the old APRO stuff, but last I heard the people who have possession of it were letting it sit and rot in some garage.

We don't need to go through more old files in order to know alien visitation is a reality; but because we don't know all the details, there is the possibility that in some distant future someone will discover evidence that fills in those gaps, and if that happens, then suddenly every shred of information about the Early Modern Era would suddenly become dramatically more valuable to researchers.

 

[Han]

My deepest condolences and best wishes.

 

[Sand]

Patricia Robertson - Co-Founder of USI Succumbs to Cancer

On October 21, 2015, Patricia, my life-partner of over 26 years, and co-founder of USI, lost her battle with liver cancer. She was the most genuine and loving person I've ever known, and this is the most heartbreaking thing I've ever experienced. We both shared a belief in alien visitation and we had experienced paranormal phenomena together. So she understood and supported my interest in UFOs and the paranormal. In the earlier days of USI we used to go out driving, and look for ships among the stars, and tune into the original Dreamland AM radio show. The signal had to come all the way from Spokane to Calgary, but at night the old radio in our Chevy wagon picked it up really well. It was a 1972 model with a bench seat the size of a living room couch, so we'd park on some high ground outside the city and sit close and listen and watch the sky, and imagine what it would be like to be taken off to another world. She was a constant inspiration who will be missed by me, her family, her friends and colleagues. No words can describe the depth of my loss.

A very touching remembrance. I am very sorry.

 

[Goggs Mackay]

Patricia Robertson - Co-Founder of USI Succumbs to Cancer

On October 21, 2015, Patricia, my life-partner of over 26 years, and co-founder of USI, lost her battle with liver cancer. She was the most genuine and loving person I've ever known, and this is the most heartbreaking thing I've ever experienced. We both shared a belief in alien visitation and we had experienced paranormal phenomena together. So she understood and supported my interest in UFOs and the paranormal. In the earlier days of USI we used to go out driving, and look for ships among the stars, and tune into the original Dreamland AM radio show. The signal had to come all the way from Spokane to Calgary, but at night the old radio in our Chevy wagon picked it up really well. It was a 1972 model with a bench seat the size of a living room couch, so we'd park on some high ground outside the city and sit close and listen and watch the sky, and imagine what it would be like to be taken off to another world. She was a constant inspiration who will be missed by me, her family, her friends and colleagues. No words can describe the depth of my loss.

Im so very sorry to hear this terrible news Randall and you've obviously been dealing with this illness for some time too. 26 years with a fantastic person is a lucky thing to have lived, it's awful she has gone but you were lucky to have her by the sounds of it. My condolences.

 

[Mr. Fibuli]

Patricia Robertson - Co-Founder of USI Succumbs to Cancer

On October 21, 2015, Patricia, my life-partner of over 26 years, and co-founder of USI, lost her battle with liver cancer. She was the most genuine and loving person I've ever known, and this is the most heartbreaking thing I've ever experienced. We both shared a belief in alien visitation and we had experienced paranormal phenomena together. So she understood and supported my interest in UFOs and the paranormal. In the earlier days of USI we used to go out driving, and look for ships among the stars, and tune into the original Dreamland AM radio show. The signal had to come all the way from Spokane to Calgary, but at night the old radio in our Chevy wagon picked it up really well. It was a 1972 model with a bench seat the size of a living room couch, so we'd park on some high ground outside the city and sit close and listen and watch the sky, and imagine what it would be like to be taken off to another world. She was a constant inspiration who will be missed by me, her family, her friends and colleagues. No words can describe the depth of my loss.

I hope there's an afterlife where you guys can live happily ever after.

 

[Randall]

I hope there's an afterlife where you guys can live happily ever after.

I can tell you in no uncertain terms that it makes me "want to believe", but I've thought a lot about that in the past too, and the slim possibility that something like that exists isn't enough for me to lay any bets on it, and even if there was such a thing, I sure wouldn't want her to have to hang out in limbo watching while I move on with life, so whatever the case might be, although I really appreciate the sentiment, I'll be focusing on honoring her memory by continuing the work on the projects we had shared together, including USI .

 

[Mr. Fibuli]

I can tell you in no uncertain terms that it makes me "want to believe", but I've thought a lot about that in the past too, and the slim possibility that something like that exists isn't enough for me to lay any bets on it, and even if there was such a thing, I sure wouldn't want her to have to hang out in limbo watching while I move on with life, so whatever the case might be, although I really appreciate the sentiment, I'll be focusing on honoring her memory by continuing the work on the projects we had shared together, including USI .

Yeah, I'm a diehard agnostic too. Nothing to do but wait for our ride
Just rely on all of the cool non-weirdo friends and family you have (you and me being the weirdos) who do believe.
Personally I believe it could be anything. But the tuned in cool people in life tell me there's more than meets the eye.
The mysterious nature of simple human reality is enough to suggest alternate states of being in my view though.

 

[Randall]

Yeah, I'm a diehard agnostic too. Nothing to do but wait for our ride
Just rely on all of the cool non-weirdo friends and family you have (you and me being the weirdos) who do believe.
Personally I believe it could be anything. But the tuned in cool people in life tell me there's more than meets the eye.
The mysterious nature of simple human reality is enough to suggest alternate states of being in my view though.

Agreed. I've drifted back and forth from one position to the other a couple of times. At present, I'm of the view that if ( and that's a big red if ) our realm is a complex simulation of sorts, then there is the possibility that it has the capacity to store some of what goes on inside it and buffer it to another type of simulation. This sort of sounds rather sci-fi, but it does have some support among academics. But even if that is the way things are, it still doesn't solve a number of important issues. The best we can do is hope that we're on the archive and save list, and that when we come to our end here, we'll emerge into another realm and be able to reconnect with our loved ones.