Greetings HAS members. It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of longtime HAS member Fred Garcia. Fred has been a member of HAS since its earliest days in the 1950s. As a student of the University of Houston, Fred helped organize the amateur telescope making section of the HAAC (as HAS was then known). He also was instrumental in HAS’ incorporation as a non-profit corporation in 1978. He was also an original member of the Telescope Committee that constructed the 12.5” f/5 Newtonian reflector that was mounted in the HAS Observatory for several decades. He was also on the committee that worked on selecting a proper site for the HAS observatory, an effort that resulted in the Dark Site we still use today. Fred continued to participate actively in HAS functions throughout his later years. Just recently he attended a VSIG meeting of mine and regaled us with tales of his observations. Fred always could tell a good story. Fred will be deeply missed in the HAS community. Fred’s wife has asked that in lieu of flowers or gifts that you instead make a donation to HAS.
-Stephen Jones
President