Sid Bacon

How lucky Walt and I were to have Sid--and later Sid and Cathy--in Omaha several times in the early years of his career.  We all loved Sid’s wickedly dry sense of humor.   An example that comes to mind is when a group of us helped move him into a top-floor apartment with no elevator and narrow stairs on a hot summer day.  We knew we would be hauling the same stuff back out within the year. In particular,  we were complaining about a  large wooden (non-working) stereo console.   He assured us that, indeed, his only criteria for selecting furniture was whether it was heavy enough.   Another vivid memory is a gathering in Sid and Cathy’s apartment when Laura was barely walking and Dan not yet born.  Laura was crawling on Sid’s lap and pestering him for a sip from his nearly empty balloon wine goblet.  Sid finally relented and held the glass near her for a pretend sip.   The next second we all gasped to see a perfect little semi-circle chomped out of the glass.  A rare moment when Sid was not his usual calm and collected self.  No harm done except jangled nerves.  Sid was a valued friend, an outstanding scientist and a fine human being.  We will miss him and cherish all the good memories of times together.

Memories have been running through my mind.    I remember your wedding day.  I remember the night of Dan’s birth.  I remember Laura in her little pink bathing suit splashing with Dave in the kiddie pool on our deck.  I remember your apartment in England and getting caught in the pouring rain when out touristing.   I remember when Sid was trying to cultivate smoking a fancy pipe. I remember so many talks and posters and discussions of science with Sid.  The years have flown by.  He didn’t get all the years he deserved, but what a life to be proud of.  And how lucky he was to have you and the kids support him during this tough battle with the cancer.  I hope we will get to visit with you in person one day soon.  I have retired, so I don’t go to many meetings, but perhaps I should tag along with Walt to AAS if it provided a chance to see you.

I remember Sid as a peacemaker.  There was a math faculty who was angry at me but still needed to meet with me so he asked Sid to be at the meeting.  Sid graciously brought us together, moderated for a little bit and then backed away as this person and I began our own dialogue.  We remain good colleagues and we were able to get important work done for students.

Sid's calm manner and non-judgmental ways brought out the best in all of us.

This photo captures what I have learned to be Sid's core: his delight in physical activity, here hiking up to a Sinagua ruin in a snowstorm, his devotion to Cathy and appreciation for what she brought to his life, and then, his warm friendship and generosity of spirit.  This was a day in which the shadow of illness had not yet appeared. It was a moment in which he met the challenge of the steep, precarious rock slope ahead with ease, a day when he had clearly put the cares of deaning and editing aside to enjoy the moment--that unusual time when it snows in Arizona.

During October of his first year at Minnesota Sid and I went to an overnight retreat that was organized for new students to meet faculty and talk about things related to perception. We drove in Sid’s famous yellow Dodge Dart of which he seemed overly proud. During that drive I began to get to know him on a personal level and we began mutual gentle ribbing, first about the Dart, and then on to other things.  I soon learned about Sid’s wicked sense of humor and that his often brilliant one-liners usually put an end to my ribbing. This gentle ribbing persisted and would persist if Sid were still with us. It was a wonderful part of our relationship and love.

There was a campfire at the retreat and after a few illicit beers Sid and I joined the folks. Caught in the glow of the fire was a lovely new student with a very captivating smile. Cathy. According to Sid I pointed her out and encouraged him to meet her. Clearly that worked and, if true, was perhaps my greatest contribution to Sid and his wonderful life.