In Memory: Roger Menard and Minka Wescott

January 2016  :  Francine Jackson

It’s very hard to lose a friend, but to become aware of two in one day is very difficult. This week the Rhode Island astronomical community lost two of its most staunch lovers of astronomy.

The first was a long time member of Skyscrapers, Inc., Roger Menard. Roger was also known for his patience and endurance running the 12-inch refractor at Ladd Observatory for many decades. He would come to Ladd each open night with a brown paper bag covered with that night’s information on the objects he would concentrate on observing. If planets, the name and position of each satellite belonging to it; if the Moon, the relevant features you would be able to see; if a comet, its distance, brightness, position with respect to the Sun, and how much longer we would be able to view it in the sky.

Roger was also involved with the planetarium facility at Brown. Not many can recall that a planetarium was set up within the cupola of a fraternity house in the late ‘60s, early ‘70s. Roger was one of the lecturers during its time.

Roger had been ill the past several years, and had been living in a nursing home, but he still remained in contact. His work with the public will be very sorely missed.

Also, although not a Skyscraper member, many of you will recall Minka Wescott. She and I were first introduced when she started coming to the Roger Williams Park Planetarium every weekend, because of her love of astronomy; however, once Minka learned about Ladd Observatory, she realized this was her “home.” She would spend virtually the entire night up in the dome, often discussing the universe with Roger. Her wonderment of the sky didn’t diminish even when she moved to Texas, where her skies were not to her liking, and every October she would come back for our open Ladd nights, becoming once again a part of our family, if only for that one night.
One of her surprising skills was woodworking, and Minka surprised us one evening by bringing to Ladd two of her creations: Saturn, and Jupiter with its Galilean moons. They are still a part of our library collection.

The last time Minka came to Ladd, in October 2014, she mentioned that she hadn’t been feeling very well, but she still had to come, and the night was one of the clearest we had had in many months. When Bob brought her up to the deck, she was greeted with the cheers she deserved, as she had come back “home” with her sky friends. We hadn’t realized then that that night would be the last time we would all be together.