#TAM2013 In Memoriam presentation

For the last four years, I’ve researched obituaries of people relevant to skepticism, and compiled them into a memorial presentation at The Amazing Meeting in July. I think it is important that we take note of the passages in our community, just as other communities do. I was inspired by the annual memorial presentation at the Academy Awards, which serves the same purpose for the motion picture industry.

The presentation for TAM 2013 consisted of 60 people who died between July 2012 and July 2013. It is just about exactly 5 minutes long, and at TAM it ran during the morning coffee breaks in the main room. If you missed it at TAM (or want a second look) you can watch the presentation here. Scroll down below the video for a list of the people included and links to further information about each.

In the lists below, click each name to read more about that person.

In Memoriam

Skeptics, scientists and friends of the JREF

Name Born Died
Iain Banks 16-Feb-1954 9-Jun-2013
Roger D. Cleveland 23-Jul-1945 23-Jun-2013
W. Gene Corley 19-Dec-1935 1-Mar-2013
“Corpse Cruncher“ 31-Oct-1956 5-Nov-2012
Roger Ebert 18-Jun-1942 4-Apr-2013
Skip Evans 4-Jun-1963 26-Jul-2012
James Gerrand 29-May-1919 12-Oct-2012
Conrad Goeringer 23-Jul-1949 3-Nov-2012
Margherita Hack 12-Jun-1922 29-Jun-2013
Leon Jaroff 27-Feb-1927 20-Oct-2012
Sergey Kapitsa 14-Feb-1928 14-Aug-2012
Hilary Koprowski 5-Dec-1916 11-Apr-2013
Paul Kurtz 21-Dec-1925 20-Oct-2012
Mike Lacelle 26-Nov-1978 6-Nov-2012
Frank Lautenberg 23-Jan-1924 3-Jun-2013
Alton Lemon 19-Oct-1928 4-May-2013
Jerry Mahlman 21-Feb-1940 28-Nov-2012
Jon Marriott 26-Sep-1961 24-Mar-2013
Molleen Matsumura 1-May-1948 30-Oct-2012
Mark P. Monack 20-May-1968 21-Apr-2013
Sir Patrick Moore 4-Mar-1923 9-Dec-2012
Mark Perakh 2-Nov-1924 7-May-2013
Kenneth M. Rommel Jr. 7-Nov-1924 28-Jul-2012
Archie Roy 24-Jun-1924 27-Dec-2012
Robert J. Sharer 16-Mar-1940 20-Sep-2012
Michael S. Smith 1974 2-Apr-2013
Robert A. Steiner 1934 4-Jan-2013
Thomas Szasz 15-Apr-1920 8-Sep-2012
Farrell Till 26-Apr-1933 3-Oct-2012
Boudewijn van Ingen 1963 4-Sep-2012
Gore Vidal 3-Oct-1925 31-Jul-2012
Jaakko J. Wallenius 30-Jan-1958 11-Jun-2013
Carl R. Woese 15-Jul-1928 30-Dec-2012

Passages of Note

Other people with some connection to skepticism.

Name Born Died
Michael Baigent 27-Feb-1948 17-Jun-2013
Bruce Cathie 1930 2-Jun-2013
Philip Coppens 25-Jan-1971 30-Dec-2012
George Fawcett 21-Jul-1929 20-Jan-2013
Marjorie E. Fish 19-Sep-1932 8-Apr-2013
Martin Fleischmann 29-Mar-1927 3-Aug-2012
Duane Gish 17-Feb-1921 5-Mar-2013
Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke 15-Jan-1953 29-Aug-2012
Irene Hughes 19-May-1920 7-Dec-2012
Johnny Lewis 29-Oct-1983 26-Sep-2012
Ivan Mackerle 1-Mar-1942 3-Jan-2013
Phillip Marshall 2-Aug-1958 1-Feb-2013
Sun Myung Moon 25-Feb-1920 3-Sep-2012
James W. Moseley 4-Aug-1931 16-Nov-2012
William P. O’Neill 24-Jun-1954 31-Mar-2013
David J. Pitkin 7-Mar-1939 13-Feb-2013
Reg Presley 12-Jun-1941 4-Feb-2013
Anne Ross 28-Sep-1925 29-Aug-2012
Bobbie Short 26-Oct-1936 16-May-2013
Cliff Sparks 6-Oct-1935 9-Sep-2012
David Spencer 21-Apr-1905 17-Jul-2012
Mel Stuart 2-Sep-1928 9-Aug-2012
Richard Stubstad 1942 28-Sep-2012
Ingo Swann 14-Sep-1933 31-Jan-2013
Warren Thompson 9-Oct-1941 20-Mar-2013
Jim Tucker 31-Dec-1934 26-Apr-2013
Sid Williams 18-Mar-1928 27-Dec-2012

Thanks to the many people who help me collect this info including Tim Binga, Sharon Hill, Jim Lippard, Daniel Loxton, Steven Novella and Lei Pinter. Thanks to Jamy Ian Swiss for insightful advice on the presentation.

You can also see the In Memoriam presentations from the previous three TAMs in other posts here at Skeptools.