Sunday, May 31, 2009

I am saddened to learn...

of the passing of Dr. Tony Oertling, chair of the chemistry department. He reportedly drowned yesterday on the St. Joe River near Marble Creek during a kayaking trip with friends.

Tony and I interacted frequently, he as chair of chemistry and me as director of environmental science. The EWU community has lost a valuable member, and for me, a good colleague. My sympathies to his family.

UPDATE: I understand that Tony is survived by his wife; they had no children.

UPDATED NEWS: at KXLY.

2 comments:

  1. Very sad, I really enjoyed him as a professor; he seemed like a good guy as well.

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  2. I met Tony when I was 13 and we were best friends among a group of 5 or so, through high school and college. I got to see him one more time as an adult. What a great guy and EWU is surely going to miss him. The only thing about him that I haven't seen commented on, sufficiently, is what an amazing, odd, and brilliant sense of humor he had. He was one of the funniest people I ever knew.

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