It was a packed house! Hundreds of people coming to pay their respects on a beautiful spring day when anyone could have been elsewhere – a very impressive gathering for Mr. Farrin and his family.
There was plenty of food and refreshment. The Opera House staff and catering service made heroic efforts on behalf of all. Speakers spoke, musicians played and everyone remembered times gone by with someone well known throughout the region. Patrick had a long history and managed to interact with many.
The folks who spoke while I was present included Pat’s son Kelly, Tom Nickerson, Peter Panagore, Tim Sample, longtime friend Paul Lorrain, and me. There were some impressive stories. Tom shared his memories of local projects that Pat, crews and friends initiated, like lights for the football field and the beginnings of Clifford’s field up in the center. Tom didn’t pull any punches. He gave some pretty descriptive blow by blow details of things that will last forever in our community, including a most enlightening exercise at the monument in Boothbay Center. I will definitely never view that location quite the same.
Paul Lorrain told about how he, Pat and Leigh Reinecke met up during their various missions in Vietnam. It was truly one of the most remarkable stories I have ever heard. Three buddies from Boothbay. Who’d a thunk!? Incredibly the trio managed to unite while a gazillion miles from home. A call over secure radio cinched the deal. It was a testimonial to the depths and strength of human connectedness, a theme that seemed to run throughout all comments shared with the attendees.
There were photographs of the Farrin life completely ringing the downstairs big room of the Opera House. Photos from long ago which recalled many of the family experiences. Time with Robin sailing, images of digging in the dirt, time with the sheepdog pup and timeless moments with the kids. It was a monumental time capsule.
Then we got to be serenaded by local musicians, Ron and Bill Arsenault, Roy Arsenault, Dickie Spofford and Captain Blackman. Good old tunes that must have included favorites of the home team. I tried not to be a blubbering idiot, but there were some wonderful conversations and comments that were not to be denied. So many wonderful people in the old house – seemed like everyone present got to catch up and share with each other which I’m sure meant a lot to Kelly and Kipp who were such a big part of Pat’s life.
On one unforeseen note, I got a text from Fed Ex guy Bobby who was only able to pop in for a quick visit during the festivities. He said he was sorry not to be able to share a few comments but he was overwhelmed with Mother’s Day deliveries. Bobby, well known throughout the region for years of service, mentioned how he had delivered Pat’s cancer meds each month for four or five years. He said Pat always gave him the big frantic Farrin wave whenever they passed along the way. They got to be good friends.
It was a great community day. Thank you all for honoring Pat and each other. Events like this remind me of the kind and sympathetic nature of this place and its people. It was nice to see so many old friends.
Barney got bitten by the curiosity bug at an early age and was encouraged by a high school chemistry teacher to pursue his interests in science. At the tender age of 14 he signed on with Charlie Yentsch at a University of Massachusetts facility not far from where Barney grew up in Rockport. That was 51 years ago. Fifty years ago Barney also became curious about music with a hope of playing the French horn, a sophisticated and not inexpensive instrument. He was encouraged to pass on the French horn and try the trombone which was immediately available. It was a serendipitous arrangement which has evolved and lasted as long and significantly as Dr. Balch’s scientific career. The group “Novel Jazz” is well known with many play dates. Barney and his musical friends are an entertaining adventure. Wait for it!
It occurs to me as I write that the core root of the word “research” is “search” and that is exactly what Barney has been about for 50 odd years. At every level of education and in many oceans, he has been looking for information and accumulating data meant to inform the oceanographic community and beyond. From his earliest years with Dr. Yentsch, Barney has been intrigued by and interested in the world of oceans, their movements, changes and adaptations. A big part of searching the Earth’s waters has focused on the tiniest yet most critical life cycles of critters called phytoplankton which are so inextricably linked to the health and well being of practically everything in the ocean.
In the accompanying photos today, you can see some of the tools used to gather data about ocean health. Even when I met with Barney in his office at Bigelow there were computer screens and books and charts galore all of which provided a glimpse into the history and functioning of ocean life, particularly focused upon the microscopic population to which Dr. Balch has dedicated his scientific career.
I found the torpedo-like object seen with Barney to be quite fascinating. Speaking of searching! These submersible drones, as they are called, collect data in the Gulf of Maine, and elsewhere I suspect, which helps to provide scientific information about the waters nearby and how changing conditions impact sea life, and our lives, in many cases. Ocean waters flow in great rivers that provide and extract nutrients, and Barney Balch has spent his lifetime observing and recording these ocean systems.
On an office computer, he was able to show me the actual adjustments that have occurred, relatively recently, to the waters of New England and beyond. Ultimately these changes will have significant impact on fish and lobster populations, and us!
Dr. Balch and his colleagues continue the search to explore the world we inhabit and to perhaps give us a glimpse into the future. I, for one, am grateful for their efforts and significant contributions to the understanding of our critical ocean relationships.