From Carlos Braceras (Event MC), March 13, 2010
Hello and Welcome,
I am going to start our program and help facilitate our speakers. First of all on behalf of Caroline I would like to thank each and every one of you for your support, kind words, for just being there for her. Over the past 5 to 6 weeks we have all gone through a very difficult transition where we are working to come to grips with a new reality, for each and every one of us that path is different. But, it is with the support of the family that Ricardo brought together, everyone here and people that he touched around the world, that we are finding our path.
There is such power in friendship, Ricardo knew that. As I look around I realize that this family is together because of our friend, and I will consider it my responsibility, as I hope you all will, to maintain and nourish this family he created, with Caroline.
I have learned from Ricardo to enjoy and embrace everyday, every activity, and every relationship with passion and a smile. So, with a smile I raise my glass and say here is to you our friend, we are the luckiest people in the world to have had the opportunity to be a part of your family.
Caroline has asked that several folks say a few words; first Vic Heilweil will talk about Ricardo’s educational and professional achievements (I think he may ask for some assistance), then Craig Presnell will share some thoughts, followed by Rich Lennon and Kim Holtan Lang. After they have spoken we are going to open the floor for anyone who would like to share some thoughts. With that Vic.
Eulogy from Vic Heilweil
Tribute to Ricardo Presnell
Ricardo was many things to many people. First and foremost, he was a devoted and loving husband to his wonderful and talented wife, Caroline. To his professional colleagues, he was a hard-working and intelligent leader, motivator, catalyst, and inspiration. Then there was his close-knit group of comrades; friendships nurtured over decades and woven into a tightly knit web. The breadth and strength of Rico’s web has only recently become apparent to many of those threads, such as myself. A few considered Rico to be their closest friend. For many others, he was a kindred spirit and an irreplaceable part of their lives. It is these enduring friendships that now serve as the dedicated support network helping all of us through this difficult time.
For me, Ricardo was a rock – a dependable, engaging, and unique individual whose clear direction and focus in life was a stabilizing influence. He was an important mentor while pursuing my PhD here in this department, often getting me to join him on a ski tour or bike ride when things were becoming too frenzied and hectic; during these escapes, he would help me refocus on those important things in life – working hard, but taking the time out to appreciate family and friends, to laugh, and to enjoy the beautiful natural world all around us. His unspoken but unwavering goal was to live big and make the most out of life, something I and many others here today consider his legacy and a challenge to ourselves.
A letter from Russ Franklin (RTX) March 12, 2010
Thank you for the invitation. Unfortunately my wife tells me we have a friend’s birthday party we have to attend so I won’t be able to make it.
As far as comments about Ricardo’s professional life; I can say that Ricardo was a joy to work with. He had an even temperament and a great sense of humor to go with his incredible knowledge of geology and ore deposits. I could always trust his judgment and I will really miss leaning on him for opinions and answers. In the field, especially in remote situations Ricardo was one of only a handful of people that I knew had my back in the event something went wrong. He was calm under pressure and had the knowledge to know what to do and how to react to a multitude of situations. Many people probably don’t know that he was an incredible marksman as well. Every year in Alaska we went through firearms training and practice and from the first year we were all amazed at how good a shot Ricardo was, particularly in comparison to the rest of us. We thought it may be a fluke but year after year he kept it up. So obviously when working in grizzly country it was good to have Ricardo as a field partner. As you know Ricardo was always on the cutting edge of the latest research and ideas, he read constantly and had numerous contacts in both industry and academia. So working with him was like being in a virtual classroom. I especially enjoyed going on property evaluation trips with him which I did fairly often the last couple of years that we worked together. We always ended up meeting new people, learning new geology, and drinking good beer at the end of the day.
I know he had already made quite an impact on Full Metal Minerals in the short year that he worked for them. In speaking with many of my colleagues in the industry who have had dealings with Full Metal, all have said that Ricardo made a very noticeable improvement in the company by giving them clear direction and focus on their exploration. Ricardo seemed to me to be very happy with his new role and I think he knew the impact he was having on the company. He was also playing the role of mentor to a host of young geologists starting out in the business. I had dinner with him in Vancouver the week before his accident and he spoke very affectionately of his “kids” and how much he enjoyed teaching them the tricks of the trade.
Sorry I can’t make it tomorrow night. Give my best to Caroline.
Regards,
Russ Franklin
Eulogy from John Fletcher, March 13, 2010
I first met Ricardo in graduate school at the University of Utah and with similar research interests we took many of the same classes. In my first semester I came to rely on Ricardo's unique style of entertainment as we bent our brains to understand how minerals formed according to the laws of thermodynamic phase equilibria - the title of John Bowman's class. Ricardo's gravitational attraction has been described by many friends and I too quickly found myself pulled into his orbit. After a few months I had bought a pair of old tele skis and a mountain bike and joined his group of Wasatch fun hogs. Among many extracurricular activities, we started a weekly ritual that Ricardo named "meat night." Meat night was when the boys would gather at Tom's and my house to consume large quantities of ribs and steaks. It was a primitive affair and often coincided with Monday night football. The only rule of meat night was absolutely no veggies allowed.
At this point in our lives Ricardo and I were in our late twenties- early thirties and we often talked about all the things we did when we were "young." I have to admit that I would listen to his stories with amazement, but also a certain degree of skepticism because it just did not seem possible that one person could have done so many things. I noticed that every story took place with a wide variety of people whose names would be repeated in other stories and eventually I came to understand the existence of a great extended family. Throughout the gathering in the Wasatch Mountains to honor Ricardo's life, I was continuously surprised that every name corresponded to a real person and these people would repeat the very stories that Ricardo had told me. It really was all true!
After Ricardo and I graduated from the U we kept in touch at meetings, and, whenever possible, we would arrange to work together on different projects. What follows is my attempt to describe some of the highlights of Ricardo' s professional career based mainly on my conversations with him. This is not meant to be a complete list of his accomplishments, but rather I simply want to give a sense of how Ricardo was seen by those of us in the Earth Science community.
Geologists have a saying, " whoever sees the most rocks wins," which
basically means that the best geologist are those with the most experience studying and mapping rocks through different mountain belts and geologic settings. By this standard, Ricardo is the hands-down winner. I personally do not know, nor expect to meet anyone who has seen more rocks than Ricardo. For more than two decades he performed detailed studies of rocks and mountain belts on every continent on earth. He complimented this field experience with an encyclopedic knowledge of published studies in all of the areas that he worked, and he was one colleague that I could always count on to keep me current on new developments in our science because he voraciously consumed the volumes of literature that get published every month. Simply put, the man was unstoppable.
Another measure of a geologist is the people with whom he works, and
Ricardo worked with some of the very best. Many of the geologists that we both considered "legends" as graduate students eventually became his close colleagues, and throughout his career Ricardo worked with and published papers with many scientists who have changed the way we understand earth processes. His colleagues represent an elite class of scientists, of which Ricardo was an important part.
Ricardo was also associate editor of Geosphere, which is one of the scientific journals of the Geologic Society of America - considered to be among of the most prestigious societies in Earth Science. He was responsible for assigning reviewers for new papers that were submitted to the journal. The job requires someone who has his finger on the pulse of the science and can identify experts qualified to judge the merits and flaws of geologic studies and ultimately decide whether they will be published. It is a very important position that is only given to individuals who are leaders in the science and have the kind of extensive experience that Ricardo had.
I had the good fortune of getting Ricardo to come down and visit CICESE, the research institute where I work in Ensenada. The deal was he would give a talk and I would teach him to surf. He ended up staying with us for a week honing his technique in the large winter waves of the Pacific Ocean. Just to give another example of the ambitious personality and enormous goals that Ricardo took to everything in his life, the title of his talk was "Metallogeny of
North America." All geologists consider the mountains their laboratory and our field areas become second homes. The typical field area most commonly includes part of a mountain range that contains the geologic system that we are studying. Ricardo's field area for this talk was the entire North American continent. His task was to describe the genesis of every major class of mineral deposit in North America for the past ~3 billion years, which for most would seem impossible. He did a fantastic job. He showed how the complex patterns made sense in a way that only someone who had invested years of diligent, serious research could.
The last thing I would mention is not a direct accomplishment of Ricardo, but does demonstrate the scope of his influence in Earth Science. When two scientists are getting to know each other, one of the first questions they ask is, "where did you get your training and do your doctorate work?" In my case upon learning that I graduated from the University of Utah, the second question invariably is, "well you must know Ricardo Presnell! "
Ricardo is a dear friend and I sorely miss the high energy and joy
that carried him through life.
Eulogy from Craig Presnell. A letter to his children, March 13, 2010
Dear Caden and Naraya,
I would like to tell you about a wonderful man, your uncle Ricardo. He was very much like my father, intelligent, energetic, and gregarious. He was a respected scientist and an accomplished skier and bicyclist. He loved life and was very passionate on everything it offered. He had boundless amounts of energy and would perfect anything that he loved, especially his profession and skiing.
Even though Uncle Ricardo and I were not close we both loved to ski and bike. However, when we did see each other we spent our time enjoying the sports that we love. These sports were our bond as brothers. Let me you a couple of stories about Ricardo’s and my adventures.
When we were around five, we lived in Hawaii on the outskirts of the city of Honolulu. Our house was near a mountain and we were able to explore the jungles of that area. Ricardo was always the first to try new things. One time after a huge rain, Ricardo and I decided to go for a hike up the mountain trail. However, we were unable to climb the mountain trail because it has become too slippery. Rather than abandoned our hike, Ricardo, decided to take the large fallen palm tree leaves and use them as sleds to slide down wet muddy trail. We used these leaves all day, and were covered in mud. Unfortunately when we were done we track our mud all through our house, much to the dismay of our mother. This adventure could have been our first taste of sliding down the mountain.
Later on in life, Ricardo and I joined the Boy Scouts. We were living in Marblehead Mass at the time. The Boy Scouts opened the door for us to explore the wilderness, where we would take numerous camping trips and hikes in the mountains of New Hampshire. One summer, we went to “High Adventure” summer camp. Here we were given our first real taste of mountaineering, white water canoeing, rock climbing, and camping. Needless to say Ricardo excelled at all the High adventure events. In particular, he loved to rock climb, where he would continue to Rock Climb through college. He even organized school hiking trips into the White Mountains.
Another skill that we learned at the time was to ski. Our parents started our ski lessons when we were around seven. Every Saturday morning, our mother would shuttle us down to the local YMCA and we would board a school bus bound for Boston Hill. Fitted in leather lace up ski boots and wooden cable ski, we would spend each cold wintery Saturdays learning how to ski. Then once a month, we would then take a bus to one of the larger ski resorts to practice what we have learned.
In High School, our parents purchased a condo near the slopes of Waterville valley in New Hampshire. Here is where we enjoyed both Downhill and cross country skiing. Even though we were in different boarding schools, Ricardo and I would share the mountains together during our school holidays. On several vacations, Ricardo, myself, and a couple of our friends would take long ski tours around the valley. Sometimes, we would leave in the morning only to return in the evening. Our cross country ski tour adventures were epic.
Ricardo and I both attended different colleges in Vermont, where we both continued to share the love of skiing. We both had ski passes at a small ski resort, called Mad River Glen. Even though we had were at different schools we met quite frequently at the slopes. Here is where Ricardo’s skiing ability excelled. He also tied his skiing to the rhythm of music called “The Funk.” Even though he loved all forms of Jazz and Jazz-fusion, “The Funk” would be his standard party music. Before any adventure, Ricardo and his friends would play the music to get in to the mood. He even named a pair a ski in honor of “The Funk”. He would continue to encourage his fellow friends and colleagues with “Da Funk” to get them energized.
After college, Ricardo and I pursued our careers and drifted apart. After almost 15 years, I moved to Colorado and was able to rejoin Ricardo where he introduced to Backcountry skiing, called Telemarking. I also developed a fondness to this type of skiing but never compared to Ricardo’s passion and skill. On one trip to visit Ricardo in Utah, we had toured for almost 6 days. On a spring like day, Ricardo and I hiked up the slope near the Alta Ski area. Since it was a rather warm day, once we reached the summit, Ricardo and I dropped off our gear to rest prior to the descent. During this period, Ricardo would periodically run to the slope, stick it pole in the snow and say, “Ain’t ready yet!” Then we would sit and enjoy the view of the Wasatch Range. Ricardo would then start is geological lecture and describe the different areas that we were looking at. His passion for his profession was as great as his passion for skiing. Then after another 15 minutes, he would abruptly stop grab his ski pole and stick in the snow, and say, “Ain’t ready yet!”. He then sat back down and continued his lecture without missing a beat. This process continued for another 45 minutes. Then, on his final check, he declared “its ready!” After he declared this, within seconds, he had his gear on ready to go. He then declared, “Hurry up or we will miss our window!”. I struggled to meet his time line, but was able to get ready for the decent. At that moment, when he felt I was ready, Ricardo descended. At the end of run, Ricardo, was dancing to around to one of his many “funk” rhythms. He then declared “Super Job!” and we headed back to his house for beers and ESPN.
Years later, while I was living and working in Thailand, Ricardo came to visit us on what he described as a “48 hour furlough”. So, I decided to take him for a night on the town and then a mountain bike ride at one of the most technically challenging trails near Bangkok. Since Ricardo loved live Jazz, I decided to take him to my wife’s favorite Jazz and Thai restaurant call “Saxophone”. Saxophone is famous for great Jazz- fusion and extremely spicy Thai food. After a wonderful dinner followed by copious amounts of beer, we listened to some great jazz till early morning hours. The following morning we woke early to take the long two hour drive to the Mountain Bike area, called “Khao Ito.” Unfortunately the unfamiliar Thai food had taken a toll on Ricardo, but that did not stop him. After several trips to the bathroom, we were on our way for a typical hot and humid day in the mountains north of Bangkok. Once we arrived, we quickly dressed and headed off down the trail. Even though it was 95 degrees and 85% humidity, Ricardo rode strong despite his food ailments. He was even able to ride a notorious climb without missing a beat. At the top of the summit, we stopped for a drink of water and Ricardo was eager to head down the trial. Once we finished the ride, we took “bucket” showers and ate some local non spicy thai food. Later on the way home, Ricardo declared “Super Job!”, at that moment, I knew I had made his visit worthwhile.
These are only a few stories that you will hear about Ricardo. I am sure over the years you will hear many more of his adventures and trips through his close friends and family. One of Uncle Ricardo’s best qualities was his ability to gather his friends for parties, trips and adventures. He will always be loved and remembered not by his only immediate family but his close friends all over the world.
Even though you never got to know your Uncle Ricardo, he loved you both very much. He was looking forward to teaching you both how to ski and his world of Geology. Ricardo was a very passionate teacher. He would have loved to tell you of his work and tell you stories of his crazy trips. One of the most important lessons he would teach you is to be passionate on what ever you love to do. Strive to be the master of your craft and don’t let any one hold you back. Make sure that you know your goals and work very hard to get them. Also, he was a big advocate of “Work hard and play harder.”
Caden and Naraya, your mother and I will continue to raise you and give you every opportunity to grow and learn. One main theme that Ricardo and we would always want you to embrace is to “enjoy your life and take advantage of everything it has to offer.”
With Much Love,
Daddy
Eulogy from Rich Lennon
A PAEAN TO RICARDO PRESNELL
I want to first thank Dan for allowing us into his spectacular home, and for trusting us all with Beartrap Lodge. I also want to express my appreciation to Caroline, to Craig, to Laurie and Carlos, Sarah, Scott, and really to everyone who knew and loved Ricardo. Your hospitality has always been stunning to me over the years, and has never been more needed than today.
I’d also like to warn you all about allowing me to speak in public before you. Putting math-types like myself behind microphones is like walking into a minefield. This’ll make more sense in a few minutes.
Also in the This-Could-Get-Ugly Department is the sad truth that all my prior attempts to give even just parts of this speech have ended poorly, generally with me unable to continue… but I promise to persevere. There may be pauses, so please try to have patience with me.
The last 45 days have tried us all like nothing ever before has. As we’ve told each other over the phone, thinking rationally for more than 30 seconds at a time has been virtually impossible. Work has been pretty embarrassing, with constant mistakes. Sleeping, or more precisely my attempts at it, has continually resulted in pacing around the house in the dark, scaring Hell out of the cat, and worrying everyone I see with my resulting appearance. In my job as our company’s Controller, I’ve been so used to being in, well, CONTROL of myself that this has shocked me like nothing else ever has. So I’ve been wondering why. Here’s what I’ve concluded:
I’m A Man With Two Brains.
In geologic time we are barely zygotes. Our forebrains are astonishingly young, having developed less than 50,000 years ago. Much of the rest of our brainpans, the aft brain (sometimes called reptilian) goes back FAR longer, and is MUCH more powerful. It runs our involuntaries, including our emotions. We math-types don’t really understand the reason for emotions. We like equal signs. We love to solve equations. The irresistible response of my aft brain to Rick’s passing left me confused and reaching out for help, with a complete loss of control…and remember, I’m a Controller.
Rick and Rich were always near-polar opposites in many ways. We also shared much, of course, but since, magnetically, opposite poles attract, and since Rick was nothing if not MAGNETIC, we ended up sticking together, and roommates. In the last 6 weeks I’ve thought many times that those were simply awesome days, some of the best of my life…and we were only 19. Amazing.
Rick was motivation in human form. Rich was Hey, That Chair Looks Mighty Comfy, Let’s Give it A Try!
Ricardo was not just highly motivated, of course. He seemed to me to be, simply put, energy in human form, and that has had me thinking in the empty spaces (at night, in the shower, while driving solo) about what energy really is, and how it behaves in our universe. What’s the most famous equation (remember that math thing!) about energy? The famous German patent office clerk’s Special Theory E=MC^2, energy = matter at the speed of light squared. What Einstein never actually solved was what he called a Unified Field Theory, which adds gravity to his equation. Basically, the Theory Of Everything.
Ladies and gentlemen, I believe that Rick may have been the solution Einstein sought.
Physicists and mathematicians now have come to agree that there is significant evidence for parallel universes. I suggest that gravity is the key to the link between those universes. What is the ultimate expression of gravity? It’s what is now thought to be found at the heart of every galaxy of stars: A supermassive black hole. Don’t give up on me here. Energy equals matter at incredible speed. Doesn’t that describe Rick? A whirling group of stars, dust and gas around it, heated to unimaginable levels. That’s all of us. We’ve orbited Rick for years, and when we gather, look out! Black holes are theoretically created when monster stars collapse, when gravity overpowers them, and they become…a SINGULARITY. The ultimate power in this universe.
Rick was a singular guy, and in his passing has become, to me, just that: A singularity. He can’t be seen by our eyes, but his effects are still here and right in front of me: Everyone here tonight.
We can’t, and not one person here would wish to, escape his famous gravity. It holds all of us, each one of us, to each other…and to him, forever, in death as well as in life.
We don’t yet understand death, even after billions of people far wiser than any of us here (except maybe Craig, or John Bird) have studied it and theorized about it, inventing religions that operate on faith, faith for which we now have an inbred need. Remember, though, Einstein’s Special Theory’s corollary (remember that math thing, again, too!): Energy, like matter, can’t be destroyed in this universe, only changed. Perhaps Rick, who was energy incarnate, an utterly singular being (with certain apologies to Craig), has really just been spread out, like black holes do over geologic time, and from his new universe can still watch us as we remember him tonight. We’re still in his orbit. We’ll always be in it.
Ricardo’s legacy to this world? Look around you: It’s US. All of you, all of us, together. If each of us carries a bit of Rick with us for all the rest of our days, who’s to say his existence has ended? And these bits we carry are not just our memories of times together and shared experiences, although those are powerful accompaniments. His approach to life, the example he set in living his life and loving fully without reservation, those can and should rightly become integral parts of each member of The Tribe (there’s that math thing again!). Are these burdens, like the heavy pack on the steep skintrack, weighing us down as if by gravity? Far from it. They’re lighter than a feather, and even better. They are LOVE AND CONCERN FOR EACH OTHER, the best parts of humanity, ones we try to instill in the next generation, ones we all know are the only way our species can survive on this Earth going forward.
And we are most certainly going forward. With Ricardo held tightly in our hearts, in our minds (both of them!), and we needn’t even consider letting go. How could we? The pull is still so strong, like the invisible singularity. He’s here, with us, right now. He’s still a part of our universe. We don’t need another star to orbit here. The Tribe is now inexorably bound together. Every one of you is now a close relation, and I wouldn’t have it otherwise.
Funk On, my brothers and sisters.
Sincerely yours,
The Dean,
Rich Lennon
A Quote From Susan Neman’s “Moral Clarity”
“…something that makes those who have it fully human, and those who don’t look like sleepwalkers…Rousseau called it force of soul, Arendt called it love of the world…you may call it charisma. Is it a gift of the gods, or something that has to be earned? Watching such people, you will sense that it’s both: given like perfect pitch, or grace…and captured like the greatest of prizes it is. Having it makes people think more, see more, feel more…more intensely, more keenly… The gods of The Odyssey aren’t alive, just immortal…and with immortality most of the qualities we cherish become pointless. With nothing to risk, the gods need no courage.”
A Quote From Ricardo’s And Craig’s Father Found In A Photo Album
“Dr. Walter Madison Presnell’s professional and personal philosophy on emotional maturity cit[ed] the ability to deal constructively with reality, accepting frustrations with ‘a fair degree of grade’, the ability to adapt to change, finding more satisfaction with giving rather than receiving, and the ability to love. ‘The purpose of life,’ sa[id] Dr. Presnell, ‘is to matter. It must make a difference that we have lived at all.’
Dr. Ricardo Davis Presnell, professionally and personally, made that difference.
Words from Kim Holtan Lang March 13, 2010
There’s quite a collective history in this room. Circles of people and stories. These circles all overlap in the same place, in the heart. And Ricardo is that heart. The sunrise on top of the mountain this morning spoke so eloquently what we are all trying to speak now in words. For those of you who were not able to be there this morning the sunrise was amazing. The sun broke, illuminating the mountains, coloring them and the clouds as the wind screamed through the Wasatch. It was real and beautiful and terrible. It spoke an essence of Ricardo and his physical absence that words can’t capture.
Our collective histories overlap here, and in our hearts we share Ricardo. We’ve come to celebrate him and all our relationships to him. Let’s take a moment to touch each other’s heart. Please turn to your neighbors, shake hands, embrace, touch a shoulder. There are old friends and new friends, people we’ve only just met. Make contact. We’re Ricardo’s heart, his tribe.
I’d like to read this short poem, I don’t know who the author is. When my sister died someone sent it to me and I found it comforting. I hope it brings you comfort now.
Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there. I do not sleep. I am
a thousand winds that blow. I am
the diamond glints on snow. I am
the sunlight on ripened grain. I am
the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s
hush, I am the swift uplifting rush
of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry.
I am not there. I did not die.
Peace be with you.
