Kelvin Lynn will be a man I remember for the rest of my life!
The road of life makes for many strange meetings and circumstances, and so was the case with me meeting the incredible Kelvin Lynn!
The year was 1985 and I had a boat for sale on Long Island, a 21 foot Mako, only a few years old- but I was getting another bigger boat and put my boat up for sale. And as the story of fate goes, the first person who saw the boat in an advertisement and came to look at it was a very interesting gentleman named Kelvin Lynn, a man back then in his mid to late 30s.
We started talking, and I was immediately hypnotized by something very special about this extremely unusual man. He started to tell me about his career, including about working on a government project developing very strong laser beams that could shield us against enemy missiles, and then he started to tell me about his project of smashing atoms to find particles smaller than quarks, and then he started discussing antimatter dynamics! And please remember, he was talking to a guy that barely got out of geometry class in high school and still is not quite sure about the properties of an isosceles triangle!But yet this incredible man had me totally mesmerized explaining these dynamics to me and me, trying to grasp the concept of an unending universe! His passion of explaining this all to me were Lightning Bolts of enthusiasm!
I had the boat up for sale for $10,000 which was a very fair and low price-finally Kelvin told me he really didn't come to buy the boat, he just wanted to compare it so he would know what other boats were like because he could not spend any more than $7500 on a boat. I was so impressed with him, I absolutely loved and was fascinated by him both mentally and spiritually, that without hesitation I told Kelvin if that's all he could spend, I wanted him to have my boat at his price. Kelvin was delighted, we made the sale-and I ended up befreinding Kelvin and when I got my new bigger boat, we used to go 100 miles offshore to an area called the continental shelf, or the canyon, and fish for tuna together for a couple of days at a time, with Kelvin sometimes bringing his scientist friend Lou who he worked with.
The times of being offshore all night long with the stars shining in the evening sky brighter than you can imagine and Kelvin explaining so many dynamics and wonders about constellations, all space and time,--these are conversations for hours and hours I will remember for the rest of my life! But most amazing is when Kelvin explained the properties of antimatter-and when I was talking to Kelvin, he totally got me to understand this complex subject, but the minute he was not near me and explaining it to me, I lost the entire concept! Kelvin hypnotized me with his passion and brilliance!
Over the years I lost touch with Kelvin, but absolutely never forgot him! A couple of years agoI realized I absolutely had to touch base with this wonderful man from my past again! I remember googling him and finding out he worked at Washington State University-but as life gets busy, I did not follow up. Finally this Christmas Day of 2021, I was at my wonderful nephew’s home telling them of my love and fascinating stories of Kelvin Lynn and then realized I absolutely must reach out and get in touch with him again. I googled his name again, but alas this time a website came up letting me know that Kelvin moved on to the next dimension!
A wave of sadness and despondency came over me recognizing that there would be no more conversations with Kelvin, and it also taught me a lesson-DON'T HESITATE!-When someone is important to you in your life, do not wait, reach out, because the future is unknown to all of us! I was led to Kelvin's Memorial page, and amazingly on a video one of the photos exactly 5 minutes and 12 seconds in showed Kelvin on the boat I sold him working on it!--I almost fell over! If ever there was a sign,-that was my sign that Kelvin is still part of my life!
My warmest thoughts go out to Kelvin's family. I also hope they read this to know I was part of Kelvin's life- and as so many others have written on notes of their remembrances of him,— Kelvin Lynn was truly a MAN among men and his love and wisdom still reverberates through so many of us! The gift of his wisdom and inspiration will live far beyond his physical being.
Hail and farewell Kelvin and thank you so much for all the excitement, joy and wonderment you brought to me in our many conversations about the greatest mystery of all! The mystery of FOREVER!
Travel safely through all space and time and may the stars always shine brightly on your soul!
Love ~~~ Mike Jacobs
Mike Jacobs
wantagh, NY
Cindy, Molly & Adam, so saddened by the news of Kelvins passing recently. He was such a smart, kind, funny man and I know he will be missed terribly. I had such fun when I was around him. Much love. You are all in my heart.
Betsy Cox
coeur d alene, ID
Dear Cindy and family, I was so sad to hear of Kelvin's passing. I remember the days when I worked for Kelvin and his best friend Myron at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Physics Department. Those were the most memorable years of my life at BNL. May God bless them both. With my deepest sympathy,
Arlene Rementer
Arlene Rementer
center moriches, NY
Dear Cindy,
We are still in a shock since we learned about Kelvin passing away.
Kelvin was a dear friend, a mentor, an inspiration and a genuine great person. We will miss him the rest of our lives.
We are with you with our whole hearths in this terrible time. Wish you all the strength to cope with the loss of your wonderful husband.
With heavy hearts
Csaba and Mina Szeles
Csaba Szeles
allison park, PA
Dear Cindy,
I am so sorry to learn of Kelvin's death. I always considered him a friend and admired colleague. He did some of the early MuSR experiments with me, helped me in using muons at Brookhaven, interested me in positron physics, made my sojourns at Brookhaven enjoyable and was just a grand guy. During the cold fusion episode he took the penny of my 10000 to 1 against bet. He did this because he wanted to at least entertain the possibility of it being true, before he demolished it. (He paid the penny.) Best wishes to you and your family in this trying time.
Jack Kossler
William J Kossler (Jack)
williamsburg, VA
Dear Cindy,
I saw an email from Tony Begley requesting that a posting be made on the APS journals site honoring Kelvin's memory, and that's how I found out (this morning) that he had passed. I have many fond memories of interacting with Kelvin at Ridge and at APS March Meetings. May the good memories sustain you and the family. Still miss you.
Sharon Lensky
farmingdale, NY
With deep regrets we have heard that Kelvin has passed away. We will always remember him as a leading scientist and a tireless worker in the field of positron annihilation and as a spirited and likeable fellow man with whom we had many challenging and inspiring discussions. He will be missed.
The UniBw Munich Positron Group
Gottfried Kögel, Peter Sperr, Werner Egger, Marcel Dickmann
Werner Egger
munich, D
Dear Cindy, Molly, and Adam:
In the most heartfelt and complimentary way- Kelvin was a force of nature. Perhaps it is apt to bring forward Einstein’s quote, “Life is like a bicycle, to keep your balance you must keep moving.” In Kelvin’s case the bicycle was in high gear and difficult to stay up with. We feel blessed that we were able to know Kelvin. I will always remember the Sunday morning breakfasts at the Mastic-Shirley diner and the Christmas dinners at your house. Any gathering was highlighted by Kelvin’s lighthearted way of stirring up an issue whether it be personal or political. An illustrative example of stirring up a (non)issue is when he, in a mischievous manner, asked my dad often how he could let his son (i.e., me) marry somebody who was not Jewish! Kelvin mentioned this to Denise recently (reciting remembrances after my dad passed away) and this produced a bit of laughter. Kelvin’s influence on my career was significant. During my early days as an assistant professor, his words of wisdom and scientific collaboration were invaluable. With regard to the latter, Kelvin and I co-authored a paper in 1992. Working with Kelvin allowed me to appreciate why he was such a great scientist. His curiosity to understand nature was limitless. Every experimental observation had to be explained and nothing could be glossed over. I also experienced Kelvin’s competitive streak firsthand. On a visit to my father at BNL (during my graduate school days), I accepted Kelvin’s challenge to a racquetball game. I remember feeling a bit cocky, having played quite a bit during that period of time. Also, would it be that difficult to run-around somebody who had quite a few years on me? Well, all I can say is Kelvin took no prisoners that day and exhibited the boundless energy that he exhibited in so many other pursuits in life. If you are wondering, I did lose and I cannot remember playing since! In January 2018, I emailed Kelvin to congratulate him on receiving the WSU Showcase Award. I mentioned that I had found the article while surfing the web. He replied, “Thanks for wasting your time but I am sure your Mom mentioned something.” First, I found the article all by myself. Second, the reply highlights Kelvin’s lighthearted side that was so evident to those people who interacted with him. We all are better people for having known Kelvin. We send our heartfelt condolences to you.
Denise and Daniel Strongin
wynnewood, PA
I’m very saddened to hear about Kelvin’s loss. He was a great person, mentor, and star scientist.
“I will always remember the day; the first time he met me in his CMR office, interviewing me for Ph.D. candidacy under his supervision. He asked me why (?), and how (?) kind of questions and that continued for almost 8 years of my tenure with him at WSU. I believe that many of his scientific ideas can win the “Nobel Prize” in Physics.
“Death can never take him away, for, in the hearts of the people he inspired across the globe, the legacy remains and continuous throughout generations. May his soul find eternal rest!
Narendra Parmar
seoul, KR
Dear Cindy, Molly and Adam:
We are so sorry to hear your sad news. Kelvin touched us all, leaving us lasting memories. Your family will always have a special place in our hearts. Kelvin and Myron had a one-of-a-kind friendship that, luckily for us, brought our families together on many wonderful occasions. We still talk about our Christmas dinners together...and what dinners they were! We fondly remember how in the midst of a delicious meal, with lovely conversation and happy chatter around the table, Kelvin would flash a mischievous grin and magically steer the dinner chat straight into a passionate, and heated (but friendly) political debate...always ending with laughter and smiles around the table. His passion and sense of humor was contagious.
We know he will be sorely missed by all who knew him.
Our heartfelt condolences, with much love,
David, Joanne, Zachary and Rachel
Port Washington, NY
Joanne and David Strongin
port washington, NY
It is with great sadness that I write this. Kelvin was a good man. I am so sorry I am not there to honor Kelvin. He was admired, respected and loved. He was enthusiastic about everything, but I especially remember the many times when his enthusiasm with Physics led to long, after work conversations with Myron. They could talk for hours(sometimes the conversations were quite lively). I feel so fortunate our families were able to make so many beautiful memories together. He will always be in my thoughts. I will never forget.
Arlene Strongin
center moriches, N.
Ohhh Kelvin, how we will miss you! You had a way like no other to liven any gathering with your never ending questions and enthusiasm! We were lucky to have had you as a friend for the past ten years. I only wish we had known you earlier and could have been at your 30th and learned how to tap dance with you! You will be missed!
Marysue and Rafik Itani
pullman ,
This is way to Godamnded soon to be talking about Kelvin this way, and now. His timing was off, but at least the ending was right. He would have been really pissed if he just slipped away in his sleep.
Just pick any encounter with Kelvin and it was probably a memorable one. In my very first conversation with him, the first thing he brought up was his angst about 'turning 30' - that your life was basically over after 30 (and this was when he was just 26.)
So we just had to throw him a 30th "Birthday Memorial." Black suits, mourners, 'Happy Birthday' played in a minor key. The highlight was giving him what he always secretly wanted: TAP DANCE LESSONS! Cindy had taps put on his shoes, Kathy brought her dance teacher to the party, who gave him a lesson right on the spot. The grand finale was a big dance show on the kitchen linoleum - "Kelvin and Friends, heal-toe, double-time shuffle-step".
And then there was Carrot Man. Of all his achievements, turning orange has to be in his top ten. Just ask Cindy.
More liner notes: All of us - Kelvin & Cindy, Dayton & Shelley, Trish & me piled on their bed watching SNL; lots of frisbee and volley ball (an IV in the arm couldn't stop him); New Year's Eve/pass the hat; "Name It and Claim It," and, of course, many q-u-e-s-t-i-o-n-s.
One last thought, for all you believers:
God v Kelvin
Game on.
Don Feiler
mattituck, NY
My heart was greatly pained to hear about my friend! Kelvin was a great mentor and I am so thankful for all that he did for me and my family! I wouldn't be in the career I am in if it wasn't for his guidance and support. I will always have great appreciation and love for him and his family!
Abraham Jones
grand rapids, MI
Kelvin was a senior statesman and a consummate university citizen at WSU. As department chair, I relied often on his wise counsel, and I stand in awe of his remarkable legacy of scientific achievement. To Cindy and family, on behalf of Physics & Astronomy at WSU, our deepest and heartfelt condolences. This is a terrible loss for our department and our community. Kelvin will be greatly missed.
Brian Saam
pullman, WA
I am so sorry to hear about Kelvin and am sending love and prayers to his family, especially Cindy, Molly and Adam. I have so many fond memories of spending time with Cindy and Kelvin on Long Island. I specifically remember Kelvin’s surprise 30th birthday party. He had mentioned that he wanted to learn to tap dance, so we gave him tap shoes and I attempted to teach him. He never made it to Broadway, but we had a lot of laughs. Rest In Peace Kelvin; you made this world a better place.
Katherine (Camardello) Salomone
east moriches , NY
I am sorry to hear about Kelvin's passing. It is an honor to work with you. Please accept my heartfelt condolences from Japan.
Akira Nagaoka
miyazaki, JP
Cindy and family,
Please accept our condolences. Kelvin made our lives better, and he will be missed!
Toby and Brenda Rule
bremerton, WA
Based upon my experience, Kelvin was both a wonderful and humble man. I am so sorry you are going through this.
C Moore
moscow, ID
Just a few days after receiving your joyful new year's letter, Cindy, we get the shocking message about Kelvin. Terrible. This is not fair. Just at the last positron conference in 2018 he and I talked about that we were the only two in the crowd who had participated since the early 1970'ies. I have always admired Kelvin for all his accomplishments and the time my family and I spent at Brookhaven is still one of the high points. We are grateful that we have been able to keep in contact during the many years. We send our warmest sympathies to you and your family. Inge and Morten Eldrup
Morten Eldrup
birkeroed, DK
I remember the many occasions I met Professor Lynn and had pleasant conversations with him on matters of common interest, mainly positron annihilation. I had a dream to work in his group for postdoctoral research, which unfortunately never materialized. His seminal papers on diverse aspects of positron annihilation will continue to enthuse future researchers to pursue and enrich this field further. I pay my full respect to the departed soul and pray for it to remain in eternal peace.
Dr. P.M.G. Nambissan
kolkata, IN
I was so shocked and so very sorry to hear of Kelvin's death, Cindy. My deepest sympathy to you and your family.
Monica Peters
pullman, WA
Dear Cindy and family,
Please accept my condolences on the loss of your Kelvin. May your memories of his antics and adventures sustain you in the days to come.
Sincerely,
Sue Kreikemeier
Sue Kreikemeier
pullman, WA
So sorry for your very great loss. I hope it helps that Kelvin lived such a complete life. I enjoyed our chats at the course and rec center. Kelvin was a gentleman and a great guy.
timothy h esser
pullman, WA
I would like to extend my condolences to Kelvin's family. I had the great pleasure of working for Kelvin at WSU, maybe I should say with Kelvin. Along with his many accomplishments, he had a sense of humor. RIP my friend.
