Belated lamentations: Sam Girouard

[Michael Sternberg <mstern@cnw.com>]

I had the pleasure, and frustration, of talking and visiting with Sam on a 
variety of matters paleontological for two years preceding his suicide.  He 
and I shared an interest in the Eocene Chuckanut flora of Washington State 
which was the basis for most of our interaction.  However, watching a 16 
year old present his work on a putative theropod tooth found in marine 
sediments on Vancouver Island, at the BC Paleo Symposium, left me in 
wonder.  He was as well prepared, poised and positive in his delivery as 
any professional.

Speaking, I think, for all of us who knew Sam personally and 
professionally, in the Northwest, his death was a deep loss for paleontology.

His published works are (to my knowledge):

Girouard,S.P. Jr., 1997, First dinosaur remains from the Pacific coast of 
British Columbia, of the Trent River Formation (Campanian, Late Cretaceous) 
of Vancouver Island [abstract], in British Columbia Paleontological 
Symposium, May 9-11, 1997, Vancouver, B.C., Program and Abstracts, p.15

Girouard, S.P. Jr.,2001, On the Trail of Washington Dinosaurs, Washington 
Geology, Vol. 29 No.1/2, pp. 21-26.  [note: this article was posthumously 
prepared from a draft written by Sam prior to his unfortunate death. MS]

Washington Geology is available on the Web at the following URL:
http://www.wa.gov/dnr/htdocs/ger/pdf/1news01.pdf



       ---====  Michael Sternberg  ====---
 Avocational Paleontologist and Natural Curiousitarian
           "I never Metasequoia I didn't like"
                  Quod erat inveniendum
Member: Northwest Paleontological Association, President
               Botanical Society of America
               Geological Society of America
             American Geological Institute
       ---=============================---