Robert L. Oldershaw

1946 - 2021

Robert L. Oldershaw

Amherst, MA — Robert Louis Oldershaw, of Amherst, died Monday August 9th at age 74. He passed peacefully at the Fisher Home in Amherst MA where he was surrounded by his son, daughter and wife. His family would like to express their deepest gratitude for the staff at the Fisher home for their compassion and care.

A lifelong problem solver, Rob predicted that he had an uncommon and difficult to diagnose form of myeloma – a prediction borne out by the eventual diagnosis.

Predictions, even in the face of disbelief, were a significant part of his daily life. Robert put much of his energy toward exploring the theory of a self-similar universe, a niche field of astrophysics and cosmology with many open questions. He took comfort and pleasure in the lone and challenging pursuit. His predictions are catalogued at https://rloldershaw.people.amherst.edu/

He credits Mr. Evans, his 8th grade science class at John J.Lynch Junior High School in Holyoke in 1961 with sparking this interest in fractal patterns.

Rob was born November 3rd 1946 in Holyoke MA. He attended Holyoke public schools, followed by Suffield Academy and Colby College. He spent childhood summers on the coast of Maine swimming, sailing, and exploring, experiences which led to a lifelong love of the ocean.

Following a brief stint in the Air Force, he continued his education at the University of Washington, Seattle, where he received Chemistry and Oceanography degrees. He returned to the East Coast to work at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, joining many ocean voyages with stops across Europe, Africa and South America.

Despite his wide travels, his time in Woods Hole, MA was his fondest. There, he met his wife and, in his own words, found " something that I felt might be my life's work: a weird but appealing cosmological paradigm that totally captivated me."

He will be remembered for his deep appreciation for nature, authenticity, and purposeful way of living. He took daily walks on the Robert Frost and other local trails and always carried a bag for removing litter left by others. He aimed to live simply, and with gratitude. He wore clothes until they were threadbare and delighted in fixing broken things and using materials resourcefully.

His children remember being treated as smart and capable and being allowed to take risks. They climbed trees, jumped (and occasionally fell) into freezing water, and developed their own loves of nature. Rob believed that "if you live well in the present, the future takes care of itself."

Rob is survived by his wife Pat Wadsworth and their two children Catherine A. (Ricky Zacharias) of Philadelphia, Will W. (Anna Rizzo) of South Hadley and grandson Derek. He is survived by his two brothers, David L. (Keren Whiting) of South Hadley and Peter W. (Alex) of Fairfield CT, and nieces Lindsay and Alex and nephews David (Steph), Andrew Merrell (Matt), Jamie (Michelle) and their children.

Consider a donation in Rob's memory to the Kestrel (https://www.kestreltrust.org/give/donate/) or Boothbay Maine land trusts (https://bbrlt.org/). Memorial guestbook at www.douglassfuneral.com