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May 2, 2008
Dr. Richard Sylvan
Dr. Richard Sylvan passed away at the beginning of April.
Richard was passionate about helping people, obviously as a doctor. But, I knew him for his work in helping people move beyond the Earth, to open up new opportunities for the next generations on the next world, Mars, and beyond.
Richard was instrumental in the Mars Homestead project. He helped design our first Mars Settlement design, now called the Hillside Settlement, especially the medical facilities. He was very interested and knowledgeable, such as on the effects of radiation and gravity. And, he helped support the Mars Foundation and its Mars Homestead effort is several other ways, when it was most needed.
I had first met Richard through the Mars Society; he was especially active in the Political task force. His health was already not good, when we met. It took significant effort for him to travel, yet he loved to attend Mars and Space conferences to learn and spread his knowledge to others. I remember him as passionate, and as energetic as he was able to be given his health.
Richard also had good stories to tell from his past, I wish I had known Richard when he was younger.
Here is a photo of Richard (on right), explaining something to Matt Bowes, at a conference in 2004:
http://www.marshome.org/images2/displayimage.php?pos=-1527
Richard is 2nd from the right, in both of these photos of some of the members of the Mars Homestead programming team:
http://www.marshome.org/images2/displayimage.php?pos=-1794
http://www.marshome.org/images2/displayimage.php?pos=-1894
We don’t have an image of Richard’s work, but he laid out a medical room for the Mars Hillside Settlement, which is just around the corner to the left in this interior view (by Phil Smith):
http://www.marshome.org/images2/displayimage.php?pos=-3420
A service was held Wednesday, April 9, 2008, at 1:30 edt, in Boynton Beach, Florida. Richard resided in Atlanta and Florida.
- A message from Bruce Mackenzie, Co-Founder, Mars Foundation
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add to del.icio.usPosted by Ian O'Neill on May 2, 2008 9:01 PM
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