In Memoriam:  George Zink

From the August 2009 Issue of Mountain Notes:

George Zink passed away on the morning of Tuesday, July 21, 2009, in the house on the Chinook Trails built by George, his wife Sally, and their four children.

For most readers of this newsletter, the noteworthiness of his passing needs no explanation.  We would be hard pressed to do his life justice in the scant space available here; furthermore, George's deeds and creeds have been well chronicled by more competent writers, including himself.

For the curious reader, we suggest a look at the Summer/Fall 2007 issue of Appalachia, the web pages of the Groton School, or the May 2001 issue of the WODC Newsletter.  For that matter, a perusal of WODC Newsletters prior to 2000 will serve as partial example of George's writing and editorial talents.  Acknowledgements of him as mentor and inspiration are found in tomes dealing with subjects ranging from biochemistry to our intellectual and spiritual perceptions of wilderness.

Perhaps more important, George's life has been and continues to be etched in the landscape.  His civic service is honored every time a figure skater carves a graceful curve in the ice of Conway's Ham Arena.  His community activism bears fruit whenever a local or tourist halts for a moment to appreciate the charm of Tamworth Village.  His dedication and crusade for nature as essential sustenance is celebrated with each step we take in the Sandwich Range Wilderness.

Throughout his life, George chose to challenge himself physically and intellectually.  Invariably these challenges were directed towards improving the lives of all of earth's resident.  As a teacher for more than forty years, he taught the subject that he found most difficult, for he believed it would ensure an empathy with his students.  As a perennial student of life, he listened to, shared with, and encouraged all who crossed his path.  As a historian, he was a patient and meticulous researcher.  As a WODC member and leader, his service will long be remembered and appreciated; his work stands in the stature with that of Edgar Rich, Arthur Walden, and Katherine Sleeper.

"The world is out of joint.  Oh, cursed spite that I was ever born to set it right."

- spoken by Shakespeare's Hamlet and echoed by George in a moment of erudite introspection.