Comments on: Jeff Medkeff (Blue Collar Scientist) has died

By: Watch this Space… » Skepticality - The Official Podcast of Skeptic Magazine and the Skeptics Society

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 14:08:37 +0000

[...] skeptics - make that sceptics. We lost a good friend - the blue collar scientist, Jeff Medkeff to cancer. Jeff named asteroids after us in 2006; 106537 McCarthy and 106545 Colanduno [...]

By: A Full Moon for Cancer | Bad Astronomy | Discover Magazine

A Full Moon for Cancer | Bad Astronomy | Discover Magazine — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:26:04 +0000

[...] event is in honor of Jeff Medkeff, an astronomer, skeptic, friend, and a wonderful man. Jeff died last year of cancer — regular [...]

By: Jose

Jose — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 20:43:36 +0000

sorry. I’m trying to figure out how adding links works.
http

By: Portia

Portia — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 19:27:16 +0000

This is a horrible shock. I’ve known Jeff for years, most particularly through our chat channel, #sciastro, where we was an OP, and in person. I loved his understated, dry sense of humor and the intelligence he brought to bear in everything he did. His loss is devastating, but now whenever I look at asteroids through my beloved 18″, I will always remember him as a truly unique and gifted guy. Even through the tears, I can truthfully say that my life in astronomy was much the better for having known Jeff. My prayers go out to his surviving family members. And Jeff – now you can truly carpe noctem.

By: Anchor

Anchor — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:57:22 +0000

I have just heard this unbearably sad news. Jeff was a good and smart man graced with an abiding faith in rationality…and he saw far while he was with us. Sincerest condolences to his and his grandmother’s family.

By: Greg Medkeff

Greg Medkeff — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:32:59 +0000

The loss of any family member can be disheartening, especially when it involves someone at such a young age. And now the loss of my dear Aunt, Jeff’s grandmother… She was like a second mother to me. I am sure that they are together. Marccia, please call me when you can.

By: Mark Buettemeier

Mark Buettemeier — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 07:11:59 +0000

WOW! Words cannot express my shock to this news. I knew Jeff during his Arizona days, met him in-person at a few astronomy events in Texas and Washington state, hosted him and his wife in our home on one of their trips through to explore a future life in Alaska. After that we fell out of contact. My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife and his entire family. Blessings and comfort to you during this difficult time. He accomplished much in his short life here. We should all be inspired to do even a fraction as much. Rest in peace!

By: Wendy

Wendy — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:11:58 +0000

Damn, indeed.

By: Marccia Medkeff Hall

Marccia Medkeff Hall — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 18:20:23 +0000

As our family mourns the loss of Jeff, as well as the passing of my mother, it is comforting to read the kind remarks left here about Jeff. I remember buying Jeff science books for children when he was only four years old (his preferred gift). They seemed to be way too advanced for him, yet two minutes later, he was curled up on the sofa, oblivious to anything else but his books. He was like a sponge, soaking up the information! We will miss him.

By: tony873004

tony873004 — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 18:09:05 +0000

This is very sad. I just sent Jeff an e-mail last week wishing him well. I knew of Jeff’s blog because he had mentioned me in one of them. I made an orbital diagram of the asteroid named Philplait and posted on BAUT where Jeff found it and blogged about it:
http://bluecollarscientist.com/tag/the-bad-astronomer/

Last week I realized that he also had an asteroid named after him. I guess that should have been obvious. Knowing he was sick, and knowing he liked my first diagram, I made a similar one for asteroid Jeffmedkeff, hoping it would raise his spirits a bit. He never replied to my e-mail. Now I know why

Image: orbital diagram of 41450 Jeffmedkeff
http://orbitsimulator.com/BA/bluecollar.GIF

Thanks, Jeff for the handfull of blogs, which is all I knew you by. I wish they could have continued for many years.

By: Good news, and bad news « The casual Skeptic

Good news, and bad news « The casual Skeptic — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:29:32 +0000

[...] My condolences to his family, and anybody who was close to him. I’m speechless, as this happened really fast. Thank you BA for letting us know. [...]

By: Calli Arcale

Calli Arcale — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:23:44 +0000

I’m so sorry to hear of his passing. I hadn’t visited his blog often, but had always liked what I read there. My thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family. For those who don’t believe in prayer, think of it as an expression of sympathy. I believe that the biggest power of prayer is available to religious and non-religious alike — the power of focusing one’s mind on a painful topic, which keeps it active in your thoughts so that you have a better chance of inspiration or even doing something about it. In the case of prayer after a death, it is a means of keeping the person’s memory alive, and that is valuable whether prayer has any meaning or not beyond quiet contemplation. Whether you pray *to* anyone or are simply meditating may not be so important.

In Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series, there is a philosophy held by the people of the Ramtops that the time in which a person is actually alive is only the nugget at the center of their actual life. They are not completely dead until the last clock they wound up has wound down, until the last cheese they set on the shelf has been eaten, until the wine they corked has been drunk, etc. The ripples of a person’s life extend far, far beyond the confines of their life, and Jeff Medkeff touched many people. If we remember him, his life is not really over yet, at least in this philosophy. He continues on in our memories, and in the battle for critical thinking.

By: Kol

Kol — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 16:20:23 +0000

I’m still keeping his blog in my feed subscription list. His work didn’t end with his life and, based on his passion, neither would he want me to unsubscribe.

I expect to see this sentiment come to fruition:

“…we must all strive on and continue.”

Continue the blog. Many of us are, indeed, Blue Collar Scientists even if we are of the “armchair” sort.

A good life lived requires no sadness.

By: Dave Mitsky

Dave Mitsky — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 16:17:53 +0000

I had corresponded with Jeff over the years and had the opportunity to meet him and his wife when my wife and I visited Arizona seven years ago. He invited us to dinner and we had a fine dinner at his home in Sierra Vista. Jeff’s intelligence and logical approach to astronomy will be missed.

By: Sili

Sili — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:14:20 +0000

Hopins is all we can do – even though that often makes the loss feel worse.

I’d completely missed that it was he that had named those asteoroids. I hope someone now names a few after him and his blog.

By: Derek Colanduno

Derek Colanduno — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:00:58 +0000

I just had to re-do the Dragon*Con schedule due to this terrible event since Jeff was going to do a lecture on the Skeptic Track. So everyone knows I have taken his speaking spot and turned it into a memorial panel about Education, dedicated to the memory of Jeff and all he has done.

By: Janiece

Janiece — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:12:34 +0000

The odds of survival were pretty low, but we hoped anyway —

Sometimes hope isn’t about a good outcome, but about leaving the world a better place than when you found it.

A successful life, indeed.

By: Jewel

Jewel — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 10:59:12 +0000

This is terrible news. I can only hope that when my time comes to an end I will have left the world a better place than when I came into it, like he has. It is something to aspire to. My thoughts are with his family and his friends.

By: Robert Medkeff

Robert Medkeff — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 09:27:26 +0000

Thank you for all your kind words. It helps to know that Jeff will be missed by everyone. This is a trying time for his family, as not only are we mourning Jeff’s passing away but also his Grandmother. She passed away just a little more than 24 hours after Jeff. They were always very close and will continue to be. Jeff is survived by his wife, mother, father, brother (me), and thousands of friends. He is missed.

By: Kyle

Kyle — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 03:14:49 +0000

Anyone who would name asteroids after that group as well as Derek and Swoopy from Skepticality will be missed. I even got in a few posts with him over at the forum. Nice guy.

By: Zucchi

Zucchi — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 03:01:03 +0000

We all get a temporary ticket; all we can do is make a contribution while we’re here, like Jeff Medkeff did.

By: ozprof

ozprof — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 02:39:19 +0000

Very sorry to hear this. I met Jeff back in 2000 when I attended the MPAPW in Tuscon that year. Jeff had posted that he was willing to house someone coming to the conference from overseas to save our costs. Myself and another participent from Uragray stayed at Jeff’s house. Wonderful guy, and very generous. Very much enjoyed meeting him and his wife.

RIP Jeff.

By: Dan Dangerously

Dan Dangerously — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 02:36:53 +0000

Unfortunately, this is really my first encounter with his blog or anything having to do with him. Still, very sad news.

By: Ed

Ed — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 02:11:43 +0000

I’m very sorry to hear this. I only knew Jeff through his blog, and even then I had just discovered it a few months before he took ill.

My thoughts are with his family and friends.

-Ed

By: Yoeman

Yoeman — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 02:01:09 +0000

That is very sad news indeed, my condolences to his family and friends.