I received an email the week before last; someone had just lost a dear friend and they were hoping to honor him with a proper burial. He didn't have any money. He didn't have any immediate family. His extended family was probably not going to show up. All he had were his three cats - ‘King’ Kirk, Tasha, and Trina. He claimed to be a Messianic Jew, descending from the tribe of Levi; so, in keeping with his wishes, I was contacted in hopes that a Messianic Rabbi/Leader would assist in his celebration of life ceremony. How could I say no?
I had no idea who Richard Westfall was; I had never met him. In order to give him a proper eulogy, I invited his friends to come up and share their experiences and memories of Richard. As they spoke, I found out that he was quite an extraordinary person.
Richard was a Colorado native. He graduated from North High School in 1975. He attended and worked at the University of Colorado in Boulder in the Math, Chemistry and Physics departments. Although he went on to be a Nuclear Physicist, Richard never received a degree. He felt that the required Gen. Ed. courses that were necessary to secure a degree were a waste of his time. Richard had a brilliant mind; he was a genius with an IQ of 192. He was the recipient of three US Patents in the field of electrolytic crystal production for use in semiconductor device manufacture and other technologies. He presented many papers at various conferences and conventions in his field. He also co-authored various technical publications. Just prior to his death, his lastest projects were in the area of space mining and colonization.
Because of his superior mind, Richard had a hard time relating to people of average intellect. As a result, depression and loneliness took a toll on him. At low points, he often found solace in substance and alcohol abuse.
Richard left behind a wealth of ideas and concepts that may very well change the future of space exploration and nuclear power. He also left behind many fond memories with his friends and colleagues. As they came up and shared their stories about Richard, I looked around the room and saw the smiles on their faces and eyes beaming with joy as the remembered their dear friend. It truly was a celebration of his life. I was honored to participate.
Related Links:
Richard Westfall, Obituary
Richard Merrill Westfall Levi, Resume
Richard's Website
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