My Grandpa Augason- Gordon Clark Augason- died last week on Saturday March 28. Here is his obituary
AUGASON, I GORDAN CLARK, 78, I died Saturday, March! 28,2009 .. ]
The world lost who some knew as "The father of infrared astrophysics."
Dr. Gordon C. Augason is survived by his wife, Wendy Lu ., (Jackson) Augason; his daughter, Stephanie Ranquist (Alex); and son, Mark Augason; along with six grandchildren.
He will be missed but now is searching the stars after a battle with Alzheimer's. He was an active High Priest in the church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints. He was an avid mountaineer and sailing enthusiast. He had an adventuristic spirit. His list of achievements and published writings for NASA are too many to list.
His burial was in Utah in Saturday April 4th.
Drake, when he heard of Grandpa's condition, wrote this letter
24 Mar 2009
Dear Family,
I was sitting here staring at the screen, thinking about what I could write when the power went out. So, I´ve moved to another computer to begin writing. But this computer doesn´t have Internet right now, so hopefully I´ll be able to send this setter somehow. Ok, now it works.
Right now I´m not exactly sure what to think or say about Grandpa Augason. Death is still so foreign to me. I know it exists and that all with pass through it. I know that I already have a few relatives who have passed through this veil. But I´ve never really had to face it head on. Although I never really had the opportunity to become really close to Grandpa Augason, we did spend a lot of time with him. So it is a little more present.
Let him know for me that I am continuing the legacy that he tred. That the ideals of his life I have taken upon myself. Ever since I was young I knew that my grandfather was a scientist and studied the stars. And ever since that tender age I have wanted to do and learn the same. Although I never was able to really experience Grandpa as the scientist, just the knowledge of who he was and what he did has helped to teach me who I want to become. I share with him the love of science, the love of the Gospel, and the love of family. I desire to pursue the progression towards the fulfilment of his dreams.
Yes, at this time we do mourn. I remember reading somewhere recently that if we don´t mourn, we didn´t love. That if we don´t feel the pain of the loss, we didn´t value what we had. But we will also rejoice, for we know the promises of the Lord. There´s a passage that is really supportive at the end of Alma 28. I don´t have my scriptures with me at this moment (and if I did, they´d be in Spanish), but it basically says that the relatives of the Lamanites who threw down their lives because they wouldn´t take up arms against their bretheren mourned, yet rejoiced. That they mourned because of death and destruction, but the rejoiced in Christ who gives us life.
The past few weeks I have had to help console people who have lost their loved ones. If there is one doctrine that consoles more than any other is the knowledge that all of us will one day be resurrected. That we will take up our bodies once more, whole and perfect, never to be taken away from us again, whether we lived a good or bad life. I know with a certainty that I indeed will meet Grandpa Augason, and know him with his whole mind. I will get to know him if I didn´t already know him as a good friend before this life. And I know you know this too. Yes, I will keep you and grandpa in my prayers as he passes through the portal of a new and wondrous adventure.
To give an update in what is going on in Castillo, we have the baptism of Veronica and Vania Dumos this Saturday. They are extremely excited. They have entirely swallowed everything they can about the Gospel. They want to help us missionaries in any way that they can. Elder Lloyd began teaching music/piano classes and E´González and I are going to start teaching English. Noone went to the music class this past week. When Veronica and Vania found out, they made some really nice small posters to put on the bulliten board in the church to announce that classes as well as cards to pass out. All hand made. And while we were visiting Ana María, who lives just two houses down, they came by passing out invitations to their baptism. I really hope that they´ll always able to maintain this zeal.
We are still preparing Ana María and her family too. They have a baptismal date for the 18th of April. She, Gabriela, Federico, Florencia, and Victor will be baptized that day along with investigators of Castillo 2. We are planning a “Sábado Blanco” (White Saturday) where we hope 10 or more will enter the waters of baptism for just our two wards. It should be a beautiful experience.
I continue working hard for I know this is what the Lord wishes of me. I love you and hope that the spirit will console your hearts.
Love,
Elder Drake Ranquist
We will all miss my Grandpa, but we know that he is ecstatic to be learning the secrets of the universe that he always studied.
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