Bear was a close friend of my brother (Dave) from high school or before and they remained in touch.  He was a joyful, warm person from the start.   His open friendliness made me feel I knew him well, disproportionate, to the time actually spent with him (which was quite little, my being 6 years older than my brother, and it has been quite some time).   

      I teach history in a public university.  Some 18 years ago or so, Dave relayed that Bear saw a dramatic decrease in students’ plagiarism after he announced he was using a plagiarism detector.  I've used one ever since, but never passed back my thanks to Bear for its benefits. 

      I imagine most people finding this page join me in never having known another Bear.  But my second child struck me at 3 days old as needing a fitting nickname for her evidently outsized (and beguiling) personality.  I'm sure I wouldn't have called my daughter, now 23, "Stella-Bear" from that day to this if Bear B had not been so cherished. 

    It seems terribly unfair that his family has lost him, and, as has been said, the world has lost an extremely important voice.