SEVENTY SEVEN YEARS OF UNBROKEN FRIENDSHIP
THE STEINS AND ROISTACHERS
In 1938 I seek a High school
At 14 years of age I was graduating public school and
looking for a High School. I visited, and took the entrance
exam, for Brooklyn Technical High School and was deeply
impressed with what I saw of the school and its facilities.
I was thrilled when I got a letter of acceptance.
Chet at 14 at PS 166
In 1938 I met Richard during my first year at Brooklyn Tech.There was
instant chemistry between us and a bond was formed that has lasted
a lifetime. I now tell the story of this 77 year relationship.
In my book “Growing up In New York”, I felt that Brooklyn
Tech and Richard were that important in my life and I
devoted a page to Richard and his influence on my life.
From my book “Growing up in New York”
• “During my early years at Brooklyn Tech I befriended a fellow student,
Richard Stein. He was a scholarly looking boy, about my age and of rare
talent and intelligence. He was a chemistry major while I was in
mechanical engineering. I liked his clear thinking and his deep love of
science and his ability to make a game of it all. We loved to talk of crazy
things like what went on in the inside the atom and what atomic forces
made the sun shine and give off its energy. “
(From my book “Growing up in New York”)
Richard invited me to his home in
Far Rockaway, reached by the Long
Island railroad. There I met his
lovely mother Florence and his
sister Marge. His father had died at
an early age as had mine, and he
was a great influence in Richard's
life. Thus, we were both blessed
with very loving fathers who left us
at an early age.
•
Richard's father loved his son
and appreciated his creativity. He
fixed up a wonderful chemistry
laboratory in an attic room. Here
Richard would mix chemicals
together and create all kinds of weird
reactions and he would keep
explaining to me what he was doing
and what was happening. He was a
natural born teacher.”
The influence of Richard’s father on him
From correspondence with Richard August 4th, 2015
• “While my father only had a high school education, he
appreciated and understood science, but what was more
important, he served as a model for morality and
responsibility. When his business went bankrupt, he
regarded it a personal responsibility to pay his creditors. We
need people today who feel such responsibility for their
actions.”
I KNEW AND WAS VERY FOND OF RICHARD’S MOTHER FLORENCE AND SISTER
MARGIE
These pictures were taken about 1940 at the time I visited with Richard in Far Rockaway
Richard’s mother Florence Stein
Richard’s sister Marge
• A mysterious explosion rocks Far Rockaway
•
(From my book “growing up in New York”)
• “One time Richard collected some nitric acid and glycerin and took
them down to the beach and mixed them together. The next day
there were headlines in the local paper about a mysterious loud
explosion which shook the town of Far Rockaway. Many a time his
lab would quake with a loud explosion, or smokes of various colors
poured forth from his attic laboratory room which scared his
mother and sister half to death.”
WE TAKE LONG WALKS ON THE BOARD WALK IN FAR ROCKAWAY
From my book “Growing up in New York”
“This was our wonderful period of learning and exploring. In Far Rockaway,
we would take long walks on the boardwalk and talk about science or we
would take his small boat out on Long Island Sound and explore the various
nooks and crannies in the tidal flats.”
When Richard came into the city to visit with me, we would take long walks
in Central Park and always loved museums, especially the Museum of
Science and Industry and would spend many hours in that museum.
WE GRADUATED BROOKLYN TECH HIGH SCHOOL IN 1942
These are our graduation pictures
Richard graduated Brooklyn
Polytechnic Institute in 1945.
After
Graduating
From Brooklyn
Tech High
School, Richard
embarked on a
career of study
and we kept in
contact.
He received his MA in 1948 from Princeton
University and his PhD in 1950.
Univ. of Mass. Amherst – 1950 to Retirement
Chet in the Navy, 1943-1944
Honorably Medically Discharged
Chet went into the Navy
in 1942 and was
Honorably medically
discharged in 1943. In
1943 he worked as a
draftsman for AT&T in
New York City and went
to Cooper Union college
at night. He left NYC for a
Farm School in
Pennsylvania and began
a career in Agriculture.
Cooper Union College – 1943-1944
He entered Cornell in
1945 and graduated in
1949.
Richard and I were
always in touch during
these years after
graduating from
Brooklyn Tech.
National Farm School – 1944-1945
Cornell University College of Agriculture – 1945-1949
RICHARD AND JUDY WERE MARRIED MAY 27, 1951
Richards
Mother
Exiting church
Marriage and children
•
Chet was Married in 1950 and recalled visiting Amherst and meeting Judy early in their
marriage. I met Judy’s mother we had long talks. I was really impressed with her fine
intellect.
•
Richard tells the story of when Judy’s mother was in Cuba she had a proposal of marriage
from a suitor who later became Cuba’s president in pre-Castro days. “Richard and Judy
speculated about how history might have been different had she accepted his proposal”.
•
The 1960’s was a dynamic period of growing family and intense work in our respective jobs.
But we kept in touch with visits and correspondence.
Richard visits Roistacher family in 1960.
Shown here with my daughter Dawn on his lap
A Year end greeting card from the Steins 1966-1967
THE STEIN FAMILY GROWS
1972 Linda, Lisa, Anne & Carol
1970 - Baby Lisa, Anne, Linda & Carol
1954 - RICHARD AND JUDY AT LAKE WYOLA
(From a song: “Those were the days my friends, I thought they’d never end”)
But they did!
RICHARD AND JUDY VISITED US IN RIVERSIDE IN 1978
They visited my Citrus Experiment Station and I took them to the top of Mt. Rubidoux
which backed up against the greenhouses where I worked.
WE TRAVELED
• Over the years we begin to travel related to
our work. As the children develop their own
lives we were free to visit with each other
and did so whenever the opportunity would
arise. When chemistry conferences occurred
on the west coast, Richard and Judy
invariably came for a visit to our mountain
cabin or to the beautiful Borrego desert
where we camped each spring.
The busy years – showing Richard’s office and desk
A photo taken by daughter Lisa
in January 2015 and put on
Facebook with this comment:
“Even after some cleaning of
my father’s desk I think we
have Einstein beat!
Above show pictures of Richards office taken by Chet
during a visit to Amherst in 1999
WE RECORD OUR TRAVELS AND I PUT TOGETHER RICHARD AND JUDY’S
LETTERS IN TWO BOOKS
Letters from their travels to England, Japan, China, UAE, Germany, Japan again, Korea etc.
A MAP OF CHET’S FOREIGN TRAVELS AND CONSULTANCIES
WE CONTINUED TO WRITE OF OUR EXPERIENCES IN OUR TRAVELS
With tge Minister of Agr. In
Egypt
Students in Bari, Italy
AS RICHARD SHARED HIS HONORS WITH ME, I TOO SHARED MY HONORS WITH HIM
RICHARD, JUDY AND DAUGHTER ANNE JOIN US AT OUR MOUNTAIN CABIN IN 1987
TO CELEBRATE THE NEW YEARS WITH FRIENDS.
WE VISIT IN 1992
1994 – WE MEET AT BORREGO SPRINGS , HIKE IN THE DESERT AND WATCH THE STARS
AT NIGHT.
1995 – RICHARD AND JUDY VISIT US AT
OUR MOUNTAIN CABIN.
On the upper left we visited the site of the
famous Michelson and Morley experiment
where they shot a beam of light to
Pasadena and were expecting measuring
different speeds of light in each direction.
However, they found no discernible
fringes indicating a different speed in any
orientation or at any position of the Earth
in its annual orbit around the Sun.
Dick and Judy are shown relaxing at our
Fireplace. We loved having t hem!
1996 – WE VISITED THE STEINS IN AMHERST
1997 – WE TOOK A TOUR THE WIND MACHINES IN THE
COACHELLA VALLEY
IN MARCH OF 1998 WE VISITED THE BORREGO DESERT IN SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA AND HIKED INTO PALM CANYON.
IN MARCH OF 1999 ANNE AND FAITH JOIN US AT BORREGO SPRINGS
1999 – JUDY RAKES LEAVES AT OUR CABIN
As soon as the Steins’ would arrive, Judy would grab a rake and start raking.
Richard and I could never stop her from doing this for she felt morally bound!
WE VISIT IN APRIL OF 1999 AT THE CABIN
IT WAS ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO HAVE THE STEINS AT OUR MOUNTAIN CABIN
1999 WAS A BIG YEAR FOR BOTH OF US
THE STEINS VISIT OUR CABIN IN MAY AND RICHARD MAKES BOOYABASE. HE DID THIS FOR US AT THEIR LAKE
WYOLA CABIN IN THE PAST. HE ALSO GAVE ME HIS RECIPE – BUT I COULD NEVER DUPLICATE HIS MASTER
PERFOMANCE
WE WOULD OFTEN VISIT RICHARD AND JUDY AT THEIR MOUNTAIN CABIN AT LAKE
WYOLA
I shall never forget the time he fixed booyabase for us at their cabin
IN OCTOBER WE STROLL STOCKBRIDGE TOGETHER
Dick calls this
“Old Rockin’ Chair
got us”
1999 WAS INDEED A BIG YEAR FOR RICHARD AND MYSELF
Richard was given an Honorary Doctorate degree from Brooklyn Polytech University
AND IN SEPTEMBER 1999 CHET WAS GIVEN AN HONORARY
DOCTORATE DEGREE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA
IN SOUTH AFRICA
IN 2000 WE GET TOGETHER IN BORREGO SPRINGS AND DAUGHTER ANNE
AND GRANDDAUGHTER FAITH JOINED US.
Borrego Springs was near San Diego where Anne and Faith lived and it was a good place to get
together for very wonderful visits
I BELIEVE THAT OUR TOUR OF NOVA SCOTIA IN 2002 WAS A HIGH POINT OF
OUR GATHERINGS
Richard knocks on our door in the We found an Irish pub and downed some high quality
dark of the morning and greets us Scotch whiskey.
with freshly brewed coffee.
WE RECALL THIS NOVA SCOTIA TRIP WITH DEEP FONDNESS EXEMPLIFYING
OUR FRIENDSHIP OVER THE MANY YEARS.
THIS TRIP LIVES DEEP IN MEMORY FOR BOTH OF US!
IT WAS HOLLOWEEN TIME IN NOVA SCOTIA
And Richard poses with his likeness
AS WE GET OLDER WE CONTINUED OUR FRIENDSHIP AND EXCHANGED
PICTURES
2015 – Richard took Judy to a flower show
2013/2014 – Judy celebrated the New Year
In an appropriate manner.
RICHARD SHARED THIS PICTURE OF THE EXTENDED FAMILY MEETING AT
LAKE WYOLA IN 2003
WE TOAST RICHARD AND JUDY AND THEIR FAMILY AND FRIENDS
AND TOAST EACH OTHER FOR OUR 77 YEARS OF ENDEARING FRIENDSHIP
THANK YOU!
AND A
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR FRIEND!