David Rundle
EF0
Al Moeller passed away early in the morning of June 19, 2014.
Passing of Al Moller
- Thread starter David Rundle
- Start date
Joey Ketcham
EF4
I'm surprised by the lack of responses on Al's passing. I remember being a teen in the mid 90's and after having seen my first supercell storm structure, I took up an interest in storm chasing not knowing that storm chasing was actually something other people did. Shortly afterwards, I got a computer and started digging into storm chasing and soon discovered I wasn't alone, I came across two other storm chasers; Al Moller and Warren Faidley. Both inspired me as a young person to storm chase, and in 1998 at a Symposium in Norman I got to meet Al Moller and he was nothing but nice and down to earth. I never had an encounter with Al after that, but I always admired his work and photography online after that.
Randy Jennings
Supporter
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- May 18, 2013
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- 784
A lack of response may be due to this not showing up on the main stormtrack.org page (it looks like things posted in announcements don't show up there). There has been quite a response here in the DFW area where Al worked for a long time. I've seen tweets and the news is being announced on many amateur radio nets. The NWS FWD WFO posted a tribute at http://www.srh.noaa.gov/fwd/?n=almoller.
Joey Ketcham
EF4
Chuck Doswell, longtime friend and chase partner of Al, wrote a nice tribute. http://cadiiitalk.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-passing-of-alan-r-moller.html
Dan Robinson
EF5
I never had the privilege of meeting him, but Al Moller was certainly one of the greatest names in storm chasing, particularly to those of us who started prior to 2000 or so.
(mod note - the title of the thread has an incorrect spelling of Al's name.)
(mod note - the title of the thread has an incorrect spelling of Al's name.)
Bob Schafer
EF5
I don't believe I ever met Al, but yeah, his name was extremely prominent when I was learning the ropes. His passing is obviously a terrible loss.
Dave Gallaher
EF5
Wow--I had no idea about his illness, but I've been through that with family members and it is devastating. I knew Al through some correspondence and some photos he sent me back in the early 1980s, not long after I'd subscribed to ST. Besides weather, he knew blues music history and artists really well.
Rest in peace.
Rest in peace.
James Gustina
Supporter
It is a sad day for the meteorological community as a whole. I'm far too young to have ever met him but he still left an indelible print on many of us in how we forecast and appreciate nature. May he rest in peace.
Randy Jennings
Supporter
- Joined
- May 18, 2013
- Messages
- 784
Obituary with service info is at: http://locallyowned.tributes.com/obituary/show/Alan-R.-Moller-101459785
John Olexa
EF5
Also just found this. I'm 55 so I remember reading about Alan. His Pampa TX images still rank as some of my favorites. Thought & prayers to family and friends.
Blake Naftel
EF3
The attached video link below was the first time I had the pleasure of meeting Al Moller on 3-June-2003. I was chasing with Bill Reid at the time as a driver/guide for Tempest Tours. We stopped to check some internet data at the Clayton, New Mexico library, and Al just happened to be walking out after doing the same. What a great splinter in time! Even for this brief moment, Al's enthusiasm for aspects other than just severe weather was very apparent; speaking about touring the Raton Mesa for a recent wildflower blooming spree. I never again had the opportunity to see or chase with Al after this day, only occasionally crossing paths albeit very briefly. I was happy to have this opportunity to meet such a forward thinking, knowledgeable individual.
- Blake
http://youtu.be/DDSPSh7FTBE
- Blake
http://youtu.be/DDSPSh7FTBE
I never met Al, but I recall reading some pretty big AMS papers with him as an author. I can tell he meant a lot to the forecasting and chasing side of the community, and that he will be missed by many. Alzheimer's is probably my most feared and despised illness. My grandmother developed an Alzheimer's-like dimensia during the last few years of her life. She stopped knowing who I was pretty early on in that. That didn't bother me so much since I was never extremely close to her. However, I saw what it did to my dad (her only child) when she stopped remembering him. It was painful for me to see his emotions go south when he would spend time with her and she wouldn't know who he was. Anyway, it is tragic for anyone to have Alzheimer's and I hate especially seeing a well-known person succumb to it. The meteorology community was lucky to have Al.
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