ALAN RABINOWITZ

Just a drop in to say how much I miss our conversations, Alan. I feel the void. Hope you're well up there!

The world is a better place for having had Alan Rabinowitz in it. His book, Jaguar, still has a place in my library, having read it twice. He spoke for those who could not.

We were long friends of the Rabinowitz family. Taught for many years with his dad. We were terribly saddened to hear that Alan passed away. Our thoughts and sympathies go out to his family.

This morning while listening to NPR (and half asleep), the host announced that they're rebroadcasting an interview with Alan Rabinowitz from 2010. That woke me right up! I listened to the entire one-hour interview and, at the end, the host mentioned Alan's passing on August 5th, which upset me to the point of waking up my wife. Alan and I were childhood friends. We were in the same 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th grade classes. Alan was one of a few of my friends that I invited to my Bar Mitzvah. I...

When Alan came to Belmopan, Belize to meet with government officials, he would stop by my office. I was a Peace Corps Volunteer for the Dept. of Archaeology 1983-1985. I learned to stop whatever I was doing because he always had a story of his latest adventures. Or misadventures, such as "I almost died in a plane crash!" I later read many of those stories in his book Jaguar, which I loaned to many people. When he returned for a visit in 1990, I asked him to autograph it, and he wrote "This is...

Animals were GOD's gift to man. God will honor this man for his endless commitment to that gift. May he Rest in Peace and May his family and friends find solace in his memory.

I had the privilege of being Alan's major professor for his PhD program at the University of Tennessee. Alan was an exceptional grad student- focused, hardworking, respected by his peers, and professionally motivated. His success in his career was not a surprise to me. We will miss his presence in the wildlife world; he made a huge mark that will not be forgotten.

I have had the great fortune of knowing Alan since our days as fraternity brothers at Western Maryland College. There are very few people that have truly changed the world around us -- for the better -- and Alan is at the top of that short list. It was an honor to call him a friend as do hundreds of people and hundreds of thousands of big cats around the world. My most sincere condolences to Salisa and his two children of whom he was so proud.

I loved reading and then listening to his stories. He was so modest and unassuming that I had to coax more details out of him over a beer. He certainly loved his work and what impressed me was he was always so calm and had time for everyone. He treated my english-as-a-second-language speaking mother with the same calmness and respect he'd treat the biggest donors to his noble causes. He leaves behind a sweet, lovely family. I'll miss him greatly.