Saturday July 16 2005, Dr William (Bill) Taylor is suddenly
passed away.
Italian and worldwide Inspire members as well as any VLF researcher will remember Bill as a friend, a mentor an adviser. His works on the low radio spectrum is clearly great and the same we have to say about his will to put his knowledge at disposal of every person who simply ask for it.
Inspire project is a no profit scientific organization that Bill did start with three more Friends in the late 70' and did his best to keep up the good work, inviting people from all over the world to join that Association, teaching most of them the pleasure to research and work on the field, joining professional, amateur and students to the same work. A great idea he still loved until yesterday. I personally remember that every time I have asked him for something, he always spent his time to help me. Never said "sorry I have no time for this one" or something like that. Of course his remarks were always extremely useful and good.
Very unfortunately I never personally met Bill, but he was the person I phoned to September 11 2001 when "something" I understood was happening close to his home in Washington D.C. Fortunately he and his wife Kathleen were safe.
Of course a relationship starting in 1992 and continuing to
go on until these days has to be good. And it was that way indeed.
We never had something wrong during all these years and, very
sadly indeed, my family was planning an American tour during 2004
that was impossible to do and the same we were doing in these
days to arrange a tour next year. A tour when we'd have loved
to meet people we are usually in touch for VLF or atmospheric
and space research.
Bill Taylor should has to be the very first to meet, arriving
from Europe.
Not only Inspire Project.
He did attend our Hessdalen conference during March 2004 at Cecina
(Italy) in a Quick Time movie, where all of us understood his
skill, experience and great way to speak to let everybody understand,
even difficult subject. The same he did with Bill Pine, Mike Mideke
and Jim Ericson when they gave out Inspire Project many years
ago. Their will was to put science to most of us. Even an apparently
niche subject as the very low electromagnetic waves has becoming
usual to talk about. And most of us realized about VLF just because
Inspire. Nowadays VLF and below are a known item because of them.
Personally I will never forget the help Bill gave me in August
1999, about the then called Marina VLF receiver that I proposed
to fly on high altitude balloons. Bill did support this idea,
even using my daughter's name, with Dennis Gallagher and Friends
at Marshall.
Last Monday and Thursday we were in touch for some suggestions
about audio software for the Mac, as we used to do so many times
in all these years.
Beside Inspire, Image, Radio Jove and many more activities,
he gave us (and me in particular) a lot of help about the Hessdalen
lights research, putting his great skill at our disposal, with
no problem. All Norwegian and Italian researchers and Friends
are sharing our deepest sadness.
Next Wednesday he should have been honored with the Goddard Space
Flight Center Award for Excellence in Education. We all feel he
deserves that award very much.
I'd like propose an Award in Bill Taylor's memory or a worldwide VLF day field in His name as a NASA and Inspire Project way to recognize His lovely way to act, with everybody.
Thanks Bill. Thanks indeed. Many people will never forget you, and I'll be between them.