[TN-Bird] Re: sad news
- From: Charles Nicholson <cpnicholson53@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: TN-bird <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 1 Aug 2013 21:05:48 -0400
Both Niki and I are also greatly saddened to hear this news. He was a good
friend of both of us and a real gentleman. I think I first met him shortly
after I joined KTOS in 1970 and have many good memories of birding trips,
both as a large group and just the two of us, as well as being together at
local and state meetings. He was an ambassador for the chapter for many
years, making a point of introducing himself to and learning the names of
new members and visitors. He would write their names down in the little
notebook he kept in his shirt pocket. I too had numerous phone
conversations with him, sometimes brief as if he was just checking in, and
others lengthy. And when he called, he always started with the "Booooyd
Sharp." His phone number was also very easy to remember, with the last 4
digits 3579.
As I think Dean stated, he knew a lot of birdy areas tucked amongst the
increasing sprawl and commercial and residential development in the
Kingston Pike - Cedar Bluff - Pellisippi Parkway - Westland Drive area.
These included places like the stormwater pond in the North Peters Road
area back in the 80s that sometimes had a few shorebirds in spring and
fall. A lot of places that others would have passed by.
One of his favorite places to bird was in the Crab Orchard - Westel Road
area. I think the last full day birding trip he and I took together was to
this area in June about 3 years ago. We visited many of the same areas we
had been going to for decades including the extensive Bowaters clearcuts,
Lake Waldensia, the old coke ovens, and Black Mountain. As on many other
birding trips, Boyd would pull the notebook out of his shirt pocket, page
through it to find some interesting fact, joke, or story to retell, or to
ask about someone whose name he had written down.
As stated in the obituary, the book collection he was building for his
grandson was very important to him, and he frequently browsed the stacks at
McKay's bookstore for bargain additions. He gave me several books, on both
birds and other subjects, which I still have in our library. In typical
fashion, one of these was Katherine Graham's memoir "Personal History."
When we met to go birding together, he pulled it out and asked me if I had
read it. I said no, and he gave it to me, stating that since it had won a
Pulitzer, I ought to read it. Both Niki and I had been intending to read
it anyway and yes, it is a very good book.
When Niki was working at Yosemite for several years, Boyd always made a
point to ask how she was doing. He continued asking similar questions
after she move back here to work at the Big South Fork.
He was a great guy and will be greatly missed.
Chuck Nicholson
Norris, TN
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