Featured My Dad passed away: A Tribute (numismatic related)

A day after the recent Denver coin show my Dad, Wilfred J Carr, passed away. It was not unexpected, although it seemed a little sudden at the end. He was 89. He had been diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma over 12 years ago. The average life expectancy for that is about 4 years. So he survived longer than expected. He had good mental function right up until the day before last, although his health and physical abilities had been declining significantly over the last several months.

My Dad was not one who would normally spend more than face value for a coin. But he had collected coins from circulation in the early 1960s and had a pile of blue Whitman folders. included with that were a few Morgan and Peace silver dollars that he received on his many assignments in Nevada. About 1970, as a pre-teen, I was interested in the old coins and my Dad encouraged the hobby, even going so far as to help me buy several coins over the years. So I credit him with where I am today.
My Grandfather on my Dad's side was quite an interesting character. My Grandfather was an educator and a diplomat. My Dad told a story about when my Grandfather took my Grandmother and my Dad on a "sight seeing" trip to Germany in late 1938. Later in 1966 my Grandfather was outed by the Washington Post as having worked with the CIA.

My Dad joined the US Navy and they paid for him to attend Princeton and obtain a degree in Geology. He graduated in 1946 and at that point the Navy didn't need him anymore since WW2 was over, so he was honorably discharged. What a great deal !

He went to work for the US Geological Survey and had a long and interesting career with them. One of his assignments of note was instructing astronauts about geology in preparation for Moon landings. In February 1965 there were three groups of astronauts that my Dad worked with at the Nevada Test Site (NTS). My Dad is not shown in this picture, but this is a typical gathering. Reclined in the back (black pant legs up in the air) is Buzz Aldrin. On the right in the front is Neil Armstrong. At the time (1965) it was of course not known that these would be the first two people to walk on the Moon.


This issue of the NTS News recorded the project. My Dad is shown on the last page with the map.




My Dad was able to collect signatures of one group of the Astronauts on an unusual post card featuring a mushroom cloud:


Tragically, four of these astronauts died not long after:

Donn Eisele: Command Module pilot for the first Apollo flight (Apollo 7).

Alan Bean: Lunar Module pilot for Apollo 12 (the third person to walk on the Moon); Commander for the Skylab 3 mission.

Charlie Bassett: Never flew in space; Died tragically in a training jet crash with Elliot See on 28 February 1966 (about a year after the NTS training).

Gene Cernan: Pilot for Gemini 9; Orbited the Moon as Lunar Module pilot for Apollo 10; Commander of Apollo 17 - currently the last human to have walked on the Moon.

Clifton Curtis "CC" Williams: Never flew in space; Died tragically due to mechanical failure of his training jet on 05 October 1967.

Michael Collins: Pilot for Gemini 10; Command Module pilot for Apollo 11.
Walt Cunningham: Pilot for Apollo 7.

Elliot See: Never flew in space; Died tragically in a training jet crash with Charlie Bassett on 28 February 1966.

Roger B Chaffee: Died tragically during ground testing in the capsule of Apollo 1 on 27 January 1967.

Here is a photo of my Dad (pointing to the map). Another geologist is on the left. To the right of my Dad is Charlie Bassett and Walt Cunningham:


After the Astronaut training, my Dad went on to play a part in winning the "Cold War". His group studied the geology of potential underground nuclear testing sites. For a time he was stationed on Amchitka Island in the Alaskan Aleutians. One of the largest nuclear tests of all time was detonated under that island, not far from Russia. It is believed that someone made a serious mistake in not issuing radiation exposure badges for the workers there. Many people who worked there later developed Multiple Myeloma. Many years later the US Government offered a significant compensation payment to anyone who developed Multiple Myeloma and was able to show that they were on the island in 1970. One of the pieces of evidence we presented was this letter that my Dad wrote from Amchitka to my Grandfather in Tahiti ! This may be the only known surviving letter with an "Amchitka" postmark (that post office only operated for a short time during the testing). At the very least, this is probably the only letter ever mailed from the Aleutians to Tahiti:



One of my Dad's favorite hobbies was classic cars, especially GM models of the mid to late 1950s. That is where I get that from (although mine are generally GM "muscle" cars of the late 1960s and early 1970s).


I just spent many nostalgic hours going through things and coins I hadn't looked at in a long time. Here are some of the coins that I bought with the help of my Dad, or that I had picked out for him to buy. We generally had a somewhat limited budget, but we were able to pick up some nice things.

1938-D Indian Head nickel with nice pastel toning:


1939-D Jefferson nickel with even better pastel toning:


1897-S Morgan silver dollar:



Unusual 1881-O Morgan silver dollar with ultimate DMPL:



1921 Peace silver dollar with original ANACS photo certificate:



Key-date 1991 1/2-oz Gold Eagle that I told him to buy in 1992


1999 $50 1-oz Gold Eagle that I bought for my parent's 50th wedding anniversary in 1999. I made the text insert for the screw-together Capitol Plastics holder.


Scarce 1845 Seated Liberty silver dollar:


Nice 1908 Indian Head $10 gold purchased as an AU-55:


In lieu of flowers or specific donations or the like, we simply ask that everyone just bring back fond memories of their own departed family members.

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Daniel,
Heartfelt condolences for the loss of your father.
What a remarkable life!
Thank you for sharing this tribute.

 

Dan , I can't express at how sad I feel at this moment for you and your family ..
To wake this morning and read this first thing of the day with my morning coffee has tears in my eyes ..
I can only thank you for sharing this story of his remarkable life and accomplishments. You and I have talked many times of our parents decline and it has helped me through some tough times here at home and want to thank you additionally for the support , because knowing you are not alone is always comforting..
I once said to you that you must have gotten much of your talent , interests and detail oriented nature from your Dad and this memorial confirms all of that .
He was a very bright man and served his country, family and life very well , so I expect you will carry on in the same tradition...
I don't know what else to say to you at this time except my heart pours out to you and your family ..
God Bless & RIP Will !!

 

So sorry for your loss. Very good post though. It was pretty interesting to read about what your father has done and been a part of. Some very nice coins too.

 

Please except my condolences on the loss of your father. And thank you for the wonderful history and background you gave. He led a very interesting life.

 

Sorry to here this Daniel. No way to be ready for a day like this. I know your dad had to be proud of you. Think of that on the tough days. Our dads are always with us.

 

Sorry to hear of your loss. Sounds like your dad led a very full and interesting life. Was my dad got me interested in coins. And my grandfather who I lived with as a teenager who got me interested in almost everything else. I lost him in 1998

 

Sorry to hear about the loss of your father. You'll always have fond memories to carry around with you.

Thanks for sharing some of them with us.

 

Sorry for your loss Dan. It's obvious that you were very proud of your father and the work he did. I lost my Dad last year, (He was 88), and I felt the same way about him. We were very lucky to have guys like that in our lives.

 

Having lost my father in January of this year...I know what you are going through. My Dad worked for the Air Force until he retired in 1990. He didn't collect coins; but he had a 1928 Peace Dollar on his key chain in one of those gadgets that holds a globe together. We have 8mm movies of when my Dad and the family was stationed in Spangdalhem, Germany. Those movies brought back fond memories of times gone by. It's nice to hear that you and your father shared a hobby that brought you closer together. Take Care.

 

Sorry to hear about your father. Was a really nice write up and thanks for sharing.

 

Wonderful and fitting tribute to a great man. My condolences.

 

Daniel, you have my compete empathy on this, the passing of your dad. When mine died, after a short illness, I was left in charge of the entire medical process. I know how you feel, and am glad that you and your father had such a good relationship, and shared common interests. You should feel pride for his accomplishments, and love for him for raising you in the right paths--it is an interesting relationship in which man is father to the child, and then, child is father to the man. May your dad rest in peace.

 

It looks like your dad led a very full and fruitful life.
All one can hope for.
My condolences.

 

You and your family are in my thoughts this day, Daniel. My deepest sympathies and condolences extended to you and yours..........

 

My condolences to you and your family Daniel. Our family will keep you lifted up in our thoughts and prayers.

 

What an exceptional tribute to your father. Mr. Carr, what you have in memories and life experience shared with your father is beyond priceless. No coins, post cards, pics, autographs, stamps, or any other collectible will come close in value to what you were able to have with your father. My deepest sympathies to you and your family. Thank you for sharing this.

 

My prayers and thoughts for your Dad and you and your Family . Thanks for the writeup .

 

You have my sincere condolences Mr. Carr. Your Father was a great man, and should be in the history books if he is not already. What great stories and historical memorabilia "not to mention the coins" you have to pass down in future generations of your family, he will certainly be remembered that's for sure! Thank you for sharing this story....

 

sorry for your loss. your father sounds like he had a full life. he and you will be in my thoughts and prayers. I am a big fan of yours. If I can help you in any way let me know.