MEMORIAM
Solar Outdoors says goodbye to current and past members who have left a mark in the hearts of members!
They will be missed!
Philip Crookshank
1944-2024
Philip joined in 2005… his love for nature was evident in his active involvement with the Solar Outdoors and Sierra Clubs and his dedication to environmental restoration. He was a wonderful teacher when it came to the outdoors and also fun to be around. He was on the Solar Steering Committee for several years taking great care of the clubs equipment inventory. His legacy of kindness, creativity, and commitment to the world around him will be greatly missed.
Margaret Martin
1957-2022
William (Bill) Morse
1958-2021
Bill joined Solar Outdoors in 2007.
Peggy DeVos (Medved)
1966-2021
Harry Price
1948-2021
Michael Reamer
1944-2019
Michael joined Solar in 1986 and became a lifetime member. He enjoyed the backpacking class as well as rock-climbing, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing. When he was physically unable to do these activities any longer, he still attended meetings and participated in other activities.
Hal Joerin
1939-2019
Hal joined Solar in 1976… He was a lifelong swimmer and served for many years with the Boy Scouts of America in a variety of leadership positions. Hal deeply loved the outdoors, and enjoyed hiking, camping, climbing, caving, and backpacking. He was always ready for a challenge, from teaching winter wilderness survival to rafting the Grand Canyon, to glacier climbing in Switzerland.
Jim Gessner
1937-2019
Jim constantly had new ideas for trips, many of them family oriented – Fossil Hunts, Trout Farm, Hocking Hills, Ohio Personal Challenge (ropes), Sanilac Petroglyphs State Park, Kensington Nature hikes, Maybury State Park Mountain biking and Living Farm, Chain O’Lakes State Park in Indiana, and many organized ethnic dinners over the years, just to name a few.
Thomas Dunn
1950-2015
Tom joined Solar in 1992 and participated in many classes and activities, and helped to teach backpacking and wilderness canoeing classes. As a teacher, he spent his summers traveling on his motorcycle all over the country and loved car camping. His final legacy was to send his friends Christmas cards in December 2015, although he’d passed the previous January.
Lois Matthews
1942-2014
Lois and her husband Bill joined Solar in 2010. She and Bill took the beginning backpacking and the Basic Land Navigation classes in 2011. Lois really enjoyed cross-country skiing, canoeing, and day hiking with SOLAR friends on the weekends. She especially loved the curling event because she was always fascinated with the sport. The last backpacking adventure Lois and Bill shared was with her sister in Yosemite National Park, just a three day event in the Cathedral Mountains out of Tuolumne Meadows. Six months later she was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer.
Marco Scarpetta
1965-2014
Marco joined Solar around 1988, was an avid cyclist and enjoyed cross country skiing and hiking. He met his wife Linda Harner in SOLAR and they enjoyed traveling and doing outdoor activities wherever they went.
Michael Malon
1959-2012
Michael was a member of Solar for 18 years. With his background as a physician, he frequently assisted with the Wilderness First Aid class and taught CPR. He also participated in backpacking, skiing, mountain biking, kayaking and canoeing, rock climbing, rafting, and caving.
Norwood Catron
1972-2008
Norwood wasn’t a Solar member for very long, but his passing touched many of us. Norwood was a gentle, kind man who enjoyed the outdoors hiking and camping.
Ronda Shapiro
1954-2008
Ronda joined Solar in 1996 with a healthy appetite for the outdoors no matter the season. Cross country skiing, canoeing/kayaking, rock climbing, backpacking (fending off bugs!) and dog sledding (with dramatic rescues!) were some of her favorite pastimes with many of her SOLAR pals. Ronda’s positive attitude and beautiful personality are greatly missed.
Alf Cederquist
1931-2005
Alf joined Solar in the 1970s, where he participated in rock climbing, canoeing, skiing, and biking, as well as teaching the Survival class. He also enjoyed hiking and mountaineering both in the United States and Europe, as well as sailing.
Harsha Vardhan
1953-1988
Harsha was very involved in Solar activities. Coming to the US from India, he participated in the backpacking class (he took the class at the same time as Marilyn), rock-climbing, cross country and downhill skiing, as well as bicycling and lost his life in the same accident as Marilyn at the Pinery.
Marilyn Larkin
1961-1988
Marilyn joined Solar in 1987 and took the backpacking class, as well as windsurfing, morel mushrooming, and cross-country skiing. She was an avid bicyclist and lost her life while bike riding in Canada’s Pinery Provincial Park with SOLAR friends.