Tom Van Flandern

I'm so sorry to hear that Mike, my thoughts go out to your family. He put up a brave fight and he'll be sorely missed.

I reminisced today by watching the U-Tube presentation Tom gave in New York in 2001 on artificial structures on Mars. video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2901932981144033755

I finally got the chance to meet him this past September at the CCC2 conference, and Im glad I did. Tom was an amazing person, always remaining calm, courteous and professional no matter how hostile or obnoxious his scientific opponents became.

There have been very few men or women in history with his combination of character, integrity, honesty, courage and genius. It goes without saying that he will be missed. Science needs people like him, now more than ever.

My condolences to Tom's family.

Mike,

I am deeply saddened - I have been all week as the inevitable crept up. I take some comfort that Tom feels no more pain and perhaps has moved to a deeper understanding of those mysteries that were his life's work. I feel I speak for others when I thank you for your pointed and candid updates on Tom's condition and I speak for myself when I say that I hope his legacy will carry on both in the world of science and in you and your families hearts. He will be deeply and profoundly missed. I will always hold dearly my memories of blocking the moon with the mountains of Wolf Laurel and seeing a meteor shower that only he was confident would appear in Asheville, I remember his look when he noted that most other observers were sitting in Mongolia seeing nothing. His competitive spirit was a foundation of his science.

Mark

Mike, I feel such gratitude that I was fortunate to have met Tom and Barbara. I will always cherish the memory of that afternoon that my wife and I spent in Tom's home this last July. Tom was truly a great man, considerate in every way, and even in our heated discussions I always felt a deep respect for Tom's pioneering spirit, intellect, and deep reality thinking about how gravity works in our Universe. We love you Tom and you will be missed, your work has had such a huge impact on my life. My wife and I both send our love and wish the best for your family. John

This is tragic news indeed, Tom was indeed a great man. standing up against the bigger part of the cosmology community proved that. The Ideas he had and tried to pass on to us trough his books and this site will not be forgotten I'm sure of it, they may have lost their front line champion but I assure you they will not be forgotten. The universe Tom lived in was a simple, understandable one based on a few rules alone and that made it beautiful.
Even if Toms theories never become anything more then meta-science, they did menage to make me more open to the science overall, to interpret data on my own and draw my on conclusions, not base them solely on someone else's words.

I feel a bit egoistic but I really hate that I never got to meet this man, I was actually thinking about inviting him to my future Master of Science disputation, even though I doubt he would come all the way to Sweden just for that.

Tom won't be forgotten, and I feel deeply for all of you who were left behind as he passed on.

/Fredrik Persson
Second year Physics student
Lund, Sweden.

Because several folks have inquired about Tom's funeral I'm posting the details here:

-There will be a small memorial service at the Sherwood Village lodge in Sequim Wednesday 1/14/09 3:30PM-6:30PM
-Tom will be buried 1/15/09 in a private ceremony for immediate family
-At a date TBD (late Spring or early summer) the family will host an event to celebrate Tom's life in Cincinnati, Ohio. We hope that friends, colleague and extended family will be able to attend this event and share their stories about Tom.

Thx -Mike