On the front page of the Corvallis Gazette Times this morning on the center fold is the story about Fred Decker. I was sad to see that he died last Friday. I knew Fred Decker from Toastmasters in Corvallis. He was a distinguished toastmaster or DTM, an honor earned from being a great speaker. He had a brilliant mind and loved to debate issues. I liked him and respected him, even though I didn't agree with him on every issue.
He had been selected by President Reagan for a position in the Department of Education and was very proud of this honor. I learned from the article in the GT that he was the founding father of atmospheric sciences at Oregon State University and was professor emeritus in the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences. He believed in protecting the environment. He was a philatelist, a collector of postage stamps.
He was 91. He encouraged people and was a good person. He encouraged me. I valued him. It would have been nice to have had frequent conversations where I could have learned more from him--how he thought, why he believed in what he did, and what was important to him. People don't talk much anymore. Fred Decker liked to talk and believed in having an opinion. He will be missed.
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