Lisa Vogt's Closing Remarks

Erich Vogt --> Personal Memories of Erich Vogt --> here

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I am also reminded of this. In his early 70s, when Dad was in hospital following a heart valve replacement, two doctors came into his room to determine if he had suffered any cognitive loss as a result of the surgery. Mom, standing in the hall, overheard one of them ask dad to spell "world"... WORLD... and without missing a beat, dad spelt "world... W-H-I-R-L-E-D." One of the doctors then turned to the other and said that Dr. Vogt had taught him physics at UBC, and that he could lose half of his brain function and still be smarter than both of them put together.

We have received many tributes for Dad. I want now to share only two which represent Dad's two communities, town and gown. From the science and academic community, Haig Farris wrote a long remembrance. Haig is a venture capital pioneer and co-founded numerous high profile technology companies. He had deep KAON, UBC, Science Council and Science World connections with Dad, and there was great mutual respect. His tribute reads in part as follows:

"High energy physics was Erich. He was a prairie born cyclotron from birth to death. His high energy and ability to focus on and smash targets foolish enough to be in his path defined his world. He re-defined the phrase 'whirling dervish'. It wouldn't surprise me if the scientists determined he was the missing quark.

"Erich was a scientist's scientist or more aptly a physicist's physicist. Physicists have that enviable ability to relish problems... particularly ones that seemingly have no solution. The study of physics creates a mindset of optimism that Erich personified more than anyone I have known.

"He took his high energy and optimism with him in everything he did and we are all the better for it."

The second remembrance is from Christopher Gaze, the artistic director of Bard on the Beach. Dad’s world was also full of poetry. Into his 80s Dad could still recite, by heart, large tracks of Wordsworth and Shakespeare, among others. Dad enjoyed a friendship with Christopher Gaze, who was unable to be here this afternoon but sent this remembrance:

"As soon as I became a member of our luncheon group, The Round Table, Erich became a friend. He reached out to me - he relentlessly promoted Bard, he personally supported us generously and he celebrated his 80th Birthday at Bard with 80 friends and family in our marquee and then we all joined him at the show.

"We always received his annual Christmas cake which I shall miss greatly - it was traditional and delicious!

"That he was a great man there is no question. A beautiful mind that soared above and beyond most of the rest of us - his academic life was connected to Einstein, Hawkins and a litany of other immortals."

Thank you Christopher.

And so. A fortunate life, and a life well lived. For dad, that small boy on the prairie, the pursuit of scientific research was a pure and necessary joy. He lived his life with curiosity, and with wonder. His excellence as a scientist, a teacher, a parent and a grandparent was that he never lost that sense of wonder, and strove always to share it with others.

That closes the speaking portion of our afternoon. However, we would be very pleased if you would all join us now for a glass of wine and to share the camaraderie that was our father.

Thank you for coming.