Passing... Rowland "Ron" Mowrey aka PE, Photo Engineer, Feb. 15, 2020

[Wayne]

Always missed...

 

[Helge]

One of Ron’s former colleagues, Ronald Andrews had the following to say about Ron on Quora:
https://www.quora.com/What-happened...1&__sncid__=12813197468&__snid3__=18252118020

“I first met Ron in 1982 when I was on a temporary assignment in the Instant Photography Division of the Kodak Research Labs. He was the expert in color reproduction. He helped develop tools to quantify the accuracy of color reproduction. In the late 1980s when I worked in film manufacturing on Kodachrome film I learned that Ron was one of the people to talk to when I had questions about why the product was designed the way it was. Post-retirement I know that he learned how to make photographic emulsions in his home. I remember a series of posts on photo.net that were a great tutorial on how to design a color film.

I got along well with Ron because he and I were both collaborative in our work style. There were many in the research labs who like to work alone. I liked to engage in discussions because I always learned from them. I was one of the few film builders without a Ph.D. I know Ron also learned from discussions, but he also liked to share his knowledge. That was very evident from his posting on Photo.net and APUG.”​

 

[Kirk Keyes -]

I just heard about Ron passing. He was so knowledgeable and freely giving of what he had learned. I feel fortunate to have been able to discuss so many things with him. He is definitely missed.
I feel so fortunate that he asked me to be his lab assistant when he did his first Emulsion Making workshop at the Photographers Formulary in 2007 or 2008. When he asked, I immediately said yes! We spent a week together going over how to run the class, I got to watch as he prepped the materials as I made the reagents for him. I learned so much. And all his awesome stories about being at Kodak, NASA, and the Army were a bonus!
I feel honored that he asked me to make one of my home-made silver ion electrodes for him.
Thanks, Ron.

 

[flavio81]

I just want to say that I still miss PE here. What a kind person.

 

[bluechromis]

I just want to say that I still miss PE here. What a kind person.

Agreed.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I often conversed with on PMs and email.

 

[McDiesel]

I use his posts as a Q&A database. It's awesome. Almost every question had been concisely answered at some point. Yet, the new discussions start every once in a while and I'm like "WTF why? Ron answered this in 2011". I guess re-hasing topics is part of the fun. Examples include using a stop bath after a C41 developer, pre-washing, cross-processing ECN-2 in C41, the Mowrey Database has all the answers!

 

[KerrKid]

I use his posts as a Q&A database. It's awesome. Almost every question had been concisely answered at some point. Yet, the new discussions start every once in a while and I'm like "WTF why? Ron answered this in 2011". I guess re-hasing topics is part of the fun. Examples include using a stop bath after a C41 developer, pre-washing, cross-processing ECN-2 in C41, the Mowrey Database has all the answers!

Pinning his knowledge on this forum would be nice for us newbies.

 

[McDiesel]

@KerrKid You can run a keyword search with "Photo Engineer" into the "By: member" field.

 

[KerrKid]

@KerrKid You can run a keyword search with "Photo Engineer" into the "By: member" field.

Thank you! That works well. Sounds like a very interesting guy and the best ones are the humble ones.

 

[flavio81]

I often conversed with on PMs and email.

Yes, me too, he had the generosity to share his precious time with us in PMs!

 

[rulnacco]

Wow, I had no idea Ron had passed away--it really hit me when I discovered this just now, and I was deeply distressed to find out that he is gone from us. I was just sure he was still tinkering away, learning more (he always seemed to be expanding his already vast store of knowledge), and helping so willingly those of us who ventured into the fun but sometimes frustrating world of processing and printing color film. I learned so, so much from him, from his posts, his answers to others, and his messages directly to me when I asked privately for amplification/explanation. 20 some years ago, Ron and Dan Schwartz on photo.net collaborated on some brilliant threads that made doing my own color processing and printing at home a breeze--and so very enjoyable. It always hurts to lose such a great and generous mentor, someone whose knowledge and encouragement, freely and graciously provided, allows us to see further and accomplish more than we ever thought we could. Rest in peace, good sir--your kindness, generosity and knowledge will not be forgotten, and their results in the work of those you taught will be a memorial to them, and to you.

 

[Paul Verizzo]

Just stumbled across this.

As someone who was very active on this forum over many years, I've wondered about PE. And Patrick Gainer.

Thanks for closing the circuit.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

I've learnt so much from those two, especially Mr. Gainer and all his developer concoctions.

 

[Paul Verizzo]

Ain't dat duh trute.

Is Patrick dead? I presume most likely, but maybe not.

 

[MattKing]

Ain't dat duh trute.

Is Patrick dead? I presume most likely, but maybe not.

Yes
https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/patrick-gainer-1927-2015.130262/

 

[Paul Verizzo]

Yes
https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/patrick-gainer-1927-2015.130262/

Thanks. Dang, what losses to our nerdy community.

 

[juan]

Does anyone know about former frequent posters Tom Hoskinson and Gerald Koch?

 

[Tom Kershaw]

Does anyone know about former frequent posters Tom Hoskinson and Gerald Koch?

I had thought Tom Hoskinson is no longer with us, not sure about Gerald Koch.

 

[BrianShaw]

I had thought Tom Hoskinson is no longer with us, not sure about Gerald Koch.

We lost Tom many years ago...

 

[KenS]

It is sad day that I have to report the passing of my colleague and friend Ron Mowrey. He was a great friend of Photrio. His seemingly endless photographic knowledge will surely be missed.

View attachment 240319

I have had numerous meetings with Ron when attending annual meetings of the Biological Photographic Association. Ron (a.k.a "Chemical Engineer" was the 'expert' to who I turned when (by mistake) I poured some used fixer into a half filled carboy of paper developer (before I went to making to the majority of my print using the so-called "archaic print processes") About 5 to 7days later I found a black precipitate (around 3 to 4 inches that had 'settled' to the bottom of the carboy, so...
To whom should I make 'contact' an "honest answer'? so.... I e-mailed Ron.
Within 'about' 12 hours Ron indicated I had 'found' the easiest and least expensive
means of 'recovering what is/was known as"Black Silver (apparently the purest 'form' of silver you will ever find (and a LOT less expensive than most (if not all) of any the silver recovery 'methods

{Moderator's deletion - unnecessary in an In Memoriam thread.}

Ken

 

[Roger Cole]

I just found this because I was reading a thread on the large format forum about bad Kodak rapid fixer that talked about Ron's input on TF-5. I realized I hadn't seen any posts from him here since my recent return to photography (or more like "interest in return to photography" since I've not really gotten started yet) and did a thread title search suspecting this sad news.

RIP Ron, you will be missed.

 

[FireDoc269]

I had the chance to go out to lunch with him last May with a friend who is also a photo-enthusiast. We visited his house and saw his dark room, which was to me like playing Chopin's piano. He had trouble walking and questioned whether he would make it through another winter. But his spirit was so upbeat !! His book might be the best on emulsion-making. He had a second volume halfway written.

He had a model train set layout in the basement and shelves full of paperback science fiction. He also had an enlargement of the launch of Friendship 7 which he took himself and which was signed by John Glenn.

The members of APUG will appreciate how much he will be missed.

I never met Ron, but have learned more about him since I purchased a lot of NASA and Air Force photos from his estate sale. It is amazing to see his contribution to the space program and his development notes on the back of many of the photos of these early rocket and manned space launches. His contributions to the development of the color film emulsions is also visible in the collection with several early large format color slides of Poppies, Rochester, and 1960 vintage jets.
As a fellow chemist, I admire his tremendous contributions, his humble personality, and his desire to teach others about the science and photography that he obviously loved.

RIP Ron you truly had a Wonderful Life that Touched so many others.

 

[MattKing]

Thank you FireDoc269 for signing up and posting this.

 

[Tom Kershaw]

Thank you FireDoc269 for signing up and posting this.

I would like to second this. A valuable contribution to our understanding of a significant person, who would make the time to help on this and other forums.