Ray's passing is made more poignant by his latest research, which included publication of a peer reviewed paper (reported below) that, in essence, overturned the 1988 c14 dating of the Shroud. His contributions to the world of Shroud science are a testament to his brilliance, perseverance, integrity and expertise and his impact on Sindonology is truly historical. He was the most empirical scientist I ever met and my dear friend. I will forever be honored to have known him and take some solace from the fact that he lived to see his most important Shroud work completed and published in a credible scientific journal before he died. I know that pleased him.
I am also including Ray's full obituary, which was kindly provided to me by his daughter Amy Canzona.
During the past two years, Ray was an active participant in (and the scientific mentor of) an Internet Shroud Science Group comprised of a diverse cross section of Shroud researchers. Sadly, it was my painful duty to inform the group of Ray's passing. The resulting outpouring of comments from Ray's friends and colleagues has been overwhelming, and with their kind permission, I am reprinting them here as a tribute to the man we all knew and respected. Most of these were received on March 9th and 10th and they are published in the order in which they arrived.
Dear Barrie and all the rest of the shroudscience group:
I am so deeply saddened to hear of the death of Ray Rogers. My last email from him was yesterday afternoon. We had been talking about how the theory of the shroud image formation might be further clarified in the hopes that some experiments could be used to illustrate how resolution could be achieved through natural processes. I knew Ray was sick of course, but not that his death was so imminent. It is ironic that his last post to the shroudscience group was to mark the passing of Hans Bethe the day before yesterday. Like his tribute to Bethe, Ray always sought to get to the heart of things with absolute scientific integrity. Now we have lost Ray Rogers.
Ray Rogers was a giant of the shroud science world and as Adler before him, his absence will be sorely missed. I am deeply saddened by his passing and my heart and prayers go out to his wife and family. When I read Barrie's post I was simply stunned.
Sharing Barrie's tears, sad and prayerful,
Ray Schneider, PE, Ph.D
Dear Researchers,
I am very sad but also thankful for having the privilege to have known Ray Rogers in a personal way (as much as) it was possible in this group. Ray was (and it is hard for me to realize that it is past) a giant in shroud research. Although we disagreed in one point Ray taught me very much: about the chemistry of image formation, but also about the eagerness to strive for the truth. I never met a person with such patience, to explain again and again what he has found out as scientific truth and as his truth.
Never again an email from Ray Rogers - hard to believe.
Ray I miss you!
Helmut Felzmann
I just read the post by Barrie about Ray Rogers...
I was shocked to hear the news.
Obviously, we have lost a major pillar of Shroud research.
Mario Latendresse
This is very sad. We just agreed two weeks ago to do together new spectra measurements and laser microscopy of his samples -- which now will never reach me? He would have been the most competent among the experimentalists in the group in directing and motivating me for this kind of science. Maybe, now in the face of God if he does come face to face with Him he will know the ultimate truth of the Shroud -- which will be kept unknown to us until our own last day.
My deepest regrets.
Bernardino Jerez Buenaobra
University of the Philippines
Mary and I and the congregation of Everlasting Covenant would like to add our condolences to Joan & Ray's family at this time of loss. Surely Ray will be missed by many and his legacy will undoubtedly continue to touch many more for some time to come.
Our prayers for his family and loved ones.
Drs. Ken & Mary Stevenson & Everlasting Covenant
Dear Researchers,
We will all miss Ray Rogers. He could be very hard on people at times but he also often showed great patience. He had various disagreements with Sue and me but never closed the door because of them. Although he was reluctant to admit that the patch theory was right for reasons that were made clear in several of the recent articles, he had enough integrity to acknowledge that the data indicated that the theory is the explanation for what exists. Clearly, many scientists would have let their personal feelings affect their interpretations of the findings. Hopefully we can all imitate his dogged pursuit of the truth.
Joe Marino
Dear Friends,
As you know, I was one of the promoters of this debate group on the Shroud, but soon after the beginning I had to interrupt my active participation in it for personal reasons independent of the Shroud. However, today I have to post a message to you that all of us remember that the first and principal promoter of this debate was Ray Rogers. His last e-mail of yesterday, "The loss of a real scientist," is his testament. We have to continue following his teaching to avoid a "complete waste of time." No words can describe how immense for me is the loss of him. My sadness, my grief, is mitigated only by a thought: no mystery anymore for Ray! In peace for ever.
Emanuela Marinelli
Raymond N. Rogers, formerly with Los Alamos National Laboratory, was a chemist and scientist of great renown and a researcher extraordinary on the Shroud of Turin. His recent peer reviewed paper indicating the sample removed from the Shroud in 1988 and subjected to radio carbon dating was actually removed from a patched and re-woven area of the Shroud, was perhaps the most scientifically significant research on the Shroud of Turin since 1988.
The Officers and Board of Directors of the American Shroud of Turin Association for Research (AMSTAR)
Dear Friends,
Over the past many months I have enjoyed Ray Roger's numerous postings in this group and the various reactions he elicited from so many. He certainly kept the dialogue moving and was really the center piece of our group. I knew he was very sick over these many months, but you would never have known it, always full of life right to the end. It was really great to get to know him through his email over this period of time, and it was a wonderful gift that he was able to seize a coup de grace in changing the path and history of research on the Holy Shroud in just the past few weeks. May God give him eternal rest, with the Son of God, whom he saw in the Holy Shroud.
Fr. Fred Brinkmann
Dear Barrie & Researchers,
I have only been back from State College for a short time and just got online to get my e-mails. I'm am completely speechless and in utter shock that Ray is gone from our midst. He was one of those who continually tried to keep us on the scientific pathway and I hope we will take his memory with us into the future and not lose our way. His loss is immense--just simply immeasurable and I am without words at his passing. Except this: He will be very sorely missed!! May the gift of scientific guidance be his greatest monument.
To Joan and Ray's family I extend my deepest condolences and sympathies.
In sadness,
Paul Maloney
We rejoice that Ray has finally been released from the painful bonds of his body. He worked, apparently, almost up to his last breath. He may have seemed abrupt, but his purpose was kind, understanding, helpful -- given to detailed explanations even to non-scientists like me. His daily postings in this forum, driven by a desire to educate and inform, were just the "tip of the iceberg" of his non-stop work. The hours he spent on Shroud research, and his private communications in the last few years to members as well as to non-members of this forum, probably cannot be counted. Let us all, historians and linguists as well as scientists, strive to live up to this high standard. May his long-suffering and determined spirit continue to guide our research.
In fraternitate sindonis,
Diana Fulbright
I was greatly saddened to hear of Ray's demise although I knew it was imminent. He will be greatly missed.
Ray Rogers was one of the greats in Shroud Research. I have studied the Shroud for over fifty years but Ray had impressed me more than 99% of the scientists I had come in contact with in Shroud research. He was a brilliant scientist and a great teacher and his contributions to Shroud research were legion. His insight into the various problems revealed the brilliance of his mind. I have had a personal correspondence with him over the past few years and learned to really admire and respect the guy as a kind and compassionate person with a brilliant and intuitive mind coupled with much humility. I wish I met him sooner because I learned a great deal from Ray in the short time that I knew him. I was very familiar with his medical condition and marveled at his resolve to continue his research on the Shroud in spite of his pain and weakness.
We send our condolences and prayers to his wife, Joan and to his family. We have lost a great friend and a brilliant scientist but his spirit and numerous contributions will live forever in the annals of Shroud history. May his soul rest in peace.
Fred Zugibe, M.D., Ph.D.
The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. God, it is hard to say it, but take what is your own. Give us the strength and
courage to take up where Ray left off, in the same spirit of truth and persistence and without bitterness. Rest in peace Ray. You ran the good race. A job
very well done. Amen.
Gina Glick, M.D.
With Ray Rogers' death, I feel like a candle has been blown out and suddenly things have become darker. The Shroud Science group won't be the same without him. No more emails from Ray Rogers? Woe are we!
I penned a nickname for him and I chuckled when he used it to sign one of his last emails "Ray the Grumpy." He played his part perfectly. A scientist using his beloved science to unlock the secrets of the Shroud.
Good-bye to our fallen friend.
Ben Wiech
Barrie,
I can understand the sadness you must be feeling today. Ray was obviously more than just a colleague - a true friend over many years. It must be gratifying to know that his latest research has left an exciting legacy that will re-ignite interest and debate on the fascinating subject that you have both devoted considerable time to over the years.
Condolences.
Ian Shaw, Director
The History and Science of the Shroud of Turin Exhibit
Auckland, New Zealand
Barrie,
My sympathy is with you on the loss of your friend.
It was very sad receiving your e-mail about Ray's passing. He was very kind and gracious to me and took the time to answer many questions for me. In reflecting about Ray and his position in the Shroud Science Group, especially when he would encourage us to do real science..........it often made me think of St. Paul trying to teach others how to understand 'the mystery' he was explaining. Ray would often mention how little time he had left and yet he persisted in his research right up to the finish line. He lived long enough to see his research published which refuted the C14 test done in 1988. In thinking about Ray a passage of scripture comes to my mind......
Philippians 3:14-16 I am racing for the finish, for the prize to which God calls us upward to receive in Christ Jesus. We who are called 'perfect' must all think in this way. If there is some point on which you see things differently, God will make it clear to you; meanwhile, let us go forward on the road that has brought us to where we are.
Shalom,
Mary Hines
Dear Mrs. Rogers,
Deepest condolences on Ray's passing. I was about to query him again regarding my Shroud entry in The World Book just when Barrie sent out
the bad news.
Ray was the first major Shroud scholar I met. We happened to be sitting next to each other at the big Congresso in Turin in October, 1978. I was proud recently when he said that he had remembered me too.
He quested for answers to the mystery of the Shroud. Now he is getting those answers first hand, directly from the Man of the Shroud.
Dan Scavone
Prof. of History Emeritus
Univ. of Southern Indiana
Evansville
Dear Researchers,
It is with sadness that I note Ray's passing. His contributions to Sindonology have been great. Even though I disagreed with him on several points, I admired how he pursued truth diligently, and sought to be scientific in his approach.
At a time of death, the message of the Shroud is especially relevant. The One whose image is on the Shroud has been called the First Fruits of those who have died, clearly indicating that our final state is not one of physical decomposition, but is of the prospect for a marvelous, awesome, and mysterious resurrection to
new life.
My condolences to Joan and the family.
Sincerely,
Alan D. Whanger, M. D
 |
Ray Rogers Removes A Sticky Tape Sample from the Shroud of Turin in 1978
Dear Joan, Barrie, all Researchers,
I cannot say to you how much I sympathize with the pain of all his family. Ray will remain for me the example of generosity in action: he can be "grognon" but very given to his Faith, very discrete for his God, but complete and demanding in Science. All my sympathy and my sincere condolences for Joan, his close family and relations, and all his friends. He will remain a model for me. Now he knows the Truth, to which he sacrificed, with an immense courage, last forces, sadly.
After the shock, I am now rereading Ray's last messages. I would like to let you know how immense was his courage and hard his strength: he wrote to me two weeks ago, as he was discouraged by unnecessary or tautological messages from many of us:
"Dear Marcel:
...I must explain to you why I am "dropping the ball." I have terminal cancer, and the amount of time I can spend working is very limited. I never realized that, among its other problems, dying would be so inconvenient..."
After this message, he sent at least 26 messages more to us, teaching again and again to everybody the difference between a trivial chat and a scientific argument.
Really, he was a giant. God bless such a braveheart and keep him in the glory of the Shroud of His Son!
Adieu cher Maître et Ami,
Marcel Alonso
Dear Joan and Researchers,
I am very sad to hear that Ray passed away last night. My deepest condolences to you Joan, and to all members of this Group because we have lost a key member and a great person. In my discussions with Ray after I joined the Group I learned a lot from him although we had some differences as you know.
Ray, I am going to miss you, and I am very thankful that you did your best until the very last moment of your life in the search of the truth. In a sense, I envy you now because you already know it. I pray for your soul. I am sure you are already enjoying the presence of the Man of the Shroud that very probably has already told you whether or not you were right with your hypothesis. Do not be so hard with Him as you were with us. ;-)
I will miss you Ray, rest in peace now.
In tears,
Jose A. Botella
Dear Researchers,
More than two years ago Ray wrote to me that he had no more than three months of life and I answered that the Pope also was in the same condition some years before and he was (and thank God he is!) still alive. Therefore I hoped that Ray would remain with us for a long time.
When this morning I read the news from AMSTAR about Ray's death, I became deeply afflicted for the loss of one of the most important scientists of the Shroud world.
I must thank him a lot not only for the great work done in ShroudScience Group in his last years and for the Shroud in general from 1978, but especially for his teaching addressed to me about this argument. We discussed in various hundreds of e-mails many issues about the Shroud and for me he was a very great teacher.
As you know we did not agree with all the hypotheses formulated, but for me the scientific discussion with him was motive for growth in the scientific knowledge about Shroud issues. And, it is important that, apart from the scientific discussions, we remained friends.
I also must observe that in this period of closure by the Turin People in reference to new studies about the Shroud, he was the only one who was very open to sharing his data and, more importantly, his samples removed directly from the Shroud in 1978.
THANK YOU RAY FOR ALL!
We argued a lot about the body image formation of the Shroud Man; now you have the luck to know directly from Him how the image was really formed!
I send my condolences to his wife, Joan and to his family. May his soul rest in peace.
My deepest regrets.
Giulio Fanti
Dear Mrs. Rogers and dear Researchers,
When I received the news of Prof. Ray Rogers death, I was deeply upset. I would say my sincere condolences to Mrs. Rogers, to his familiy and to all the members
of the Science-group who I consider also as a big family...
Now,I am sure, that Dr. Rogers knows all the mysteries of the Shroud which are still hidden for us. And I am sure that the Man of the Shroud, who will be also our judge one day, will repay him all his researches of the Truth.
Let’s pray for him that his soul rest in peace. I am also sure, that he doesn’t let us down, but that he will help us in another way to find the truth.
In unione Sindonis and in mourning.
Traudl Wally
The suddenness of Ray Rogers' passing comes as a great surprise. It is my prayer that he rest in peace.
John Jackson
Dear Researchers,
I was out of the town for a few days and I just read the post about Ray Rogers...
From France, Mary, my wife, and I, would like to add our deepest condolences and sympathies to Joan & Ray's family at this time of loss.
Mary and Francois Gazay
I just wanted to say to everyone who reads this how sorry I am about the passing of Dr. Ray Rogers. It hit me very hard and I know things will never be the same.
Bob Haroldsen
I was out of my town for some days and only today I read in the E-mail of our Group that Ray Rogers passed way. We all are very grateful to Ray for the very important work and contributions he was able to give to us for the study of the Shroud. So, from Italy, I would like to express the my deepest condolences and
participation to Joan & Ray's family for this loss. I am in agreement with the proposal of Prof. Fanti to dedicate to him the list-paper for Dallas.
Giovanni Novelli
To all Researchers,
During the space of one illuminating year Ray patiently taught me everything I most needed to know. Therefore my debt of gratitude is overwhelming. Whether one agreed or disagreed is unimportant in the light of eternity. He lit a path for us all. Just as he often made me laugh, now he has made me cry.
Norma Weller
I never met Ray. I never talked to him. I only knew him from his postings and emails, and, of course, by reputation. So many people admired him, respected him, learned from him, and were inspired by him. So many people loved him.
Every morning, I sat down at my computer. The first thing I did was check for new messages from Ray. He had awakened in me a fascination with science and a profound respect for what it means to be a genuine scientist.
I learned so much from him. I will miss him.
Dan Porter
Fellow Researchers,
As I sit here and grieve over the passing of someone I never met but who has instructed us all in so many ways, I find it more than odd that Dr. Roger's last post to this group on March 8th was titled, "The loss of a real scientist". He was referring to nuclear pioneer and fellow scientist at Los Alamos, Hans Bethe. His own words speak what we all feel towards him. He was a real scientist and will be sorely missed.
In talking with Barrie, I am confident it was the work of the Shroud that kept him alive nearly two years longer than he expected to live. It is only by divine providence that he was able to finish such a monumental contribution to the Shroud in his final days. May we all treasure what he poured out to us from his depth of wisdom and knowledge. He will be missed but never forgotten.
What a story, what life, what a legacy. May God grant him and his family peace now and forever more.
Russ Breault
Dear Joan,
I knew of Ray for a long time but as an e-mail acquaintance via ShroudScience for but a few months. When I read of Ray's passing, my thoughts:
" 'Tis a sorrow, Calm as Deep - A mournfulness that cannot weep - So filled the heart is to the brink - So fixed and frozen there - ..."
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord - and May the Light of His Face shine upon him for always.
With deepest sympathies for you, Joan, and all the family. Gob Bless -
Sincerely,
Barbara M. Sullivan
Dear Joan Rogers and Researchers,
I am so indebted to Ray Rogers. He was the true spokesman of the Shroud. Never from a missionary position, but from the facts his five senses told him, independent, fully his own. Like the Danish atomic scientist Niels Bohr, Rogers with patience, wisdom, knowledge and humor revealed the basic facts upon which we can build our thoughts.
Thank you so much for yours and your husbands invaluable contributions.
In compassion,
Niels Svensson
Barrie,
Perhaps Ray now knows how the image was made and if it is the image of Jesus.
Charles Mader
The ShroudScience Group has lost a friend, valuable source of first hand information and avid researcher who not only pursued his own ideas but also prepared detailed tutorials and constructive criticism for others pursuing different ideas. I have benefited from Ray's criticism.
Ray's research was outstanding while he was in good heath and it remained that way while he was gravely ill. Ray ran the good race and he is an inspiration to all of us.
My condolences go to his wife and family.
Art Lind
I was deeply saddened to learn of Ray's death. Even though I knew it would be coming soon, it is still a shock to realize that he is no longer with us, and
that this forum will not be crackling with his almost daily posts.
I never had the pleasure of meeting Ray, but first made contact with him in 2002. We spoke several times on the phone, more than once for over an hour, and had dozens of email exchanges. He seemed like an old friend.
It is good that he lived to see his article on the C-14 sample published, and the impact it had.
We owe debt I believe to Barrie, who enticed Ray back into Shroud research by inviting him to review a book for the website. And another debt to Emanuela, Giulio and Mario for setting up and fine-tuning this forum, which proved a great milieu for Ray in his twilight years to expound, debate, teach, cajole and rage!
Ray, wherever you are, thanks for all you did to advance the study of the Shroud.
Sincere condolences to Joan and Ray's family.
Bill Meacham
Let us now sing the praises of famous men, our ancestors in their generations.
2 The Lord apportioned to them' great glory, his majesty from the beginning.
3 There were those who ruled in their kingdoms, and made a name for themselves by their valor;
those who gave counsel because they were intelligent; those who spoke in prophetic oracles;
4 those who led the people by their counsels and by their knowledge of the people's lore;
they were wise in their words of instruction;
………………………………………………………………………………
7 all these were honored in their generations, and were the pride of their times.
8 Some of them have left behind a name, so that others declare their praise
Dear Joan,
Only my being out of town and an annual thalium stress test has prevented my offering of sympathy and condolences to you and the family at Ray’s passing. His is an irreplaceable loss for the scientific community in general and for his profound and multi-contributions to sindonology in particular.
The above lines from Eclesiasticus or the Wisdom of Jesus Son of Sirach are taken from the lectionary for All Saints’ Day. When I read them next November 1st, Ray will be in my mind along with my wife and parents. Surely he was a “famous man in his generation…who gave counsel because he was intelligent…who led the people of the Shroud Scientific Discussion Group by his counsel and knowledge of the chemistry and myriad other facets of sindonology…and who was honored with pride in this generation and will continue to be acknowledged for his contributions to this field for generations to come.”
Were gold medals awarded for Shroud “Olympics”, Ray would be wearing one of gold for running a marathon from the day he first joined STURP to the day he was called home to see the object of his study “face to Face and not as a stranger.”
Courage, integrity, professional competence, encyclopedic knowledge, broad areas of interest from archaeology to cadaver dogs, the ability to teach those less gifted than himself, etc., etc., etc.. How well you knew these wonderful traits as his wife, companion, fellow researcher and -- for the last few years -- faithful nurse.
For me, Ray embodied and personified two of the principles by which I have attempted to lead my life: 1. Esse quam videri (i.e. “To be rather than to seem to be”); 2. “A belief is something you will act upon. If you are unwilling to act upon it, you don’t believe it – you merely hold an opinion about it.” (Quote from the late Dr. Benjamin Mays, President of Morehouse College, Atlanta, Georgia.) He was always willing to stand up and tell hypothetical “emperors” that they were not wearing any clothes when then theories simply could not possibly survive the process of rigorous peer review.
I am not a scientist, so I can freely state my belief that it was not by chance that Ray lived long enough to publish his final article in Thermochimica Acta. In a letter to the group dated 3Feb05 Norma Weller wrote: “We seem to have come full circle now thanks to the truly redemptive work of Ray Rogers.” I wrote Ray immediately - knowing that he would never make response – predicting that though as an empiricist eschewing any pro religious bias in his studies he should not be surprised if those of us who wore clerical garb or others who were students of history might well conclude that Ray Rogers would some day go down in the textbooks as the “redeemer of the Redeemer” having proved that 14C had accurately dated the rewoven patch; but because they had not done their homework, they had failed to correctly date the main body of the Shroud.
Please forgive me for being overly verbose, but in my humble opinion there are not words enough to express our gratitude for Ray’s many contributions to sindonology, his perseverance through pain over these past few years, and the loss presence among us all – especially you and the members of your family.
With heartfelt tears, sympathy and condolences I remain,
Rev. Albert "Kim" Dreisbach+
Dear Friends,
I am deeply saddened to learn of the death of Ray Rogers. He was a dedicated scientist and a marvelous sparring partner. In addition to the letters we shared with the shroudscience group, we had numerous private communications regarding the chemistry of the Shroud as well as forensic anthropology, and his wit and wisdom will be greatly missed. I hope he rests in peace knowing so many have gained so much from his willingness to share his experience, knowledge, and insight.
Respectfully,
Emily Craig
In October of 1978, during the Shroud exhibition in Turin, Rev Peter M. Rinaldi placed me in the same hotel where most of the Sturp members stayed. Here is where I first met Ray Rogers. Over the years, even the 1988 Carbon 14 dating did not discourage Ray. We are all grateful that Ray kept his focus and decided to follow up on Marino and Benford's work.
I have had a tree planted in Ray's name in the Biblical Park in Ariel Israel. The certificate reads in part, "A tree has been planted by F. David Alexander in Honor and Memory of Raymond N. Rogers..." May he rest in peace.
F. David Alexander
Dear Joan and Family,
I have not had the pleasure to meet you and Ray or even converse by phone, but I know from Ray's e-mails that you were a valued partner in the Shroud investigation.
Ray had emerged as the prime scientific investigator in solving the mystery of the Shroud and with his knowledge of chemistry and physics, there is no one I know who could fill his shoes.
I am grateful to him for working with me and allowing me to make some contribution to knowledge of the Shroud.
We will all miss Ray. Please accept my condolences for your loss.
Sincerely,
John Brown
IN MEMORY OF R.N. ROGERS
On the 8th of March, Dr. Raymond N. Rogers, an American scientist whose name is closely linked to the research on the Holy Shroud, died.
He worked as a chemist at the Los Alamos National Laboratory of the California University. He knew the Holy Shroud in 1978 when, as member of STURP (Shroud of Turin Research Project) American Researchers Team, had taken, by means of adhesive tape, thirty-two samples from different parts of the Shroud, publishing in the following years the results of his studies on those samples on the chemical-physical property of the fabric and of the image.
He had been ill for a long time and his last work on the Holy Shroud, published just two months ago, has contributed to bring up the important matter of the representativeness of the sindonic fabric sample taken in 1988 for the radio dating, because it seems that it has anomalies in its chemical composition compared with other parts of the fabric. These last researches have given rise to discordant opinions in the scientific world, above all for the hypothesis he formulated about a reconstructive intervention made in the middle age in the place of the above mentioned sample, but they represent, in any case, an important basis from which to start for further closer examinations on the chemical features of the fabric and its possible lack of homogeneity.
In the last issue of SINDONE NEWS we reported the publishing of the interesting research by Ray Rogers, and today unfortunately, we have to praise his memory.
The Diocesan Commission for the Holy Shroud and the International Centre of Sindonology want to express their sorrow and regret for the demise of a person of worth who has given so much to the studies and the research on the Holy Shroud.
The Editors of Sindone News
March 2005 Edition
Dear Mr. Schwortz,
Though I never met the late brilliant scientist Dr. Ray Rogers, he became a great friend of all your website viewers through his great researches and reports about the Holy Shroud of Edessa, especially his last scientific paper, "Studies on the radiocarbon sample from the Shroud of Turin."
I send my condolences and prayers to his family.
May his soul rest in peace.
Archbishop Gewargis Sliwa
Baghdad - Iraq
Dear Barrie,
I'm saddened about Ray Rogers death. I'm so sad because I know how much you and he were friends. He was a great and brilliant scientist and one of my heroes from the STURP group. Ray did the best and gave to us a new hope about the Shroud's future with his recent and important paper.
My condolences to you and to Ray's family.
Mário Azevedo
Brazil
Barrie
I am so very sorry. You must feel a definite grief, even I am affected, so I can't imagine how you must be feeling and I feel for you.
It is a funny thing -this Easter (I always go 20km away to a small ashram set up by a priest friend of mine, Tom), I visited Tom as usual and there were 3 other friends present (all nuns) and we were therefore a goodly crowd for the mass that Tom said.
During our mutual sharing, I spoke about RR's latest peer reviewed research disproving the C 14 test results that it was medieval and linking this up with a curious 4 words in John's account at the tomb. Of course, I didn't know on Easter Sunday that Ray had died.
Barrie - he completed what was asked of him and from all accounts, he put in his top best and that best was enough. Hurrah! There aren't many that can claim that as an epitaph. You know, we make our mark on history, not because we do something that the world chooses to remember us by, but because we do in faith what we understand to be God's will for us. Teihard Chardin used to say, "I do not know whether what I am doing is what you want me to do, but I do know that I want to do your will". Well done, and thank you Ray -my affection and prayers even though I didn't know you.
Aruna Rodrigues
India
Dear Barrie,
I am going to print the image that Ray Rogers named "Me, 12-4-03". After this, I'll put it under a pane of glass and keep it on my desk. The main reason is in the feeling of both energy and generosity this photo shows, but also because it will help me to watch out for the excesses of my imagination...
Thank you so much for this so moving memorial.
Warmest regards,
Robert Doumax
France
Dear Barrie,
Ray and I first met when I was taking an advanced course in biochemistry at the University of Arizona. He was a graduate student and Lab Instructor for that course. I found Ray to be very personable and an excellent teacher.
In 1951, I went to work for the University of California at Los Alamos Scientific Laboratories located in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Early in one of my research projects it required some special instrumental analysis. I was referred to an on-site LASL lab. I was pleasantly surprised to be greeted at the door by Ray, who was in charge of that special lab. He informed me that he had come to Los Alamos in 1951. From that day forward Ray helped me in many of my projects and I found him to be an exceptionally capable scientist in spectral, crystallographic and thermal analysis. Matter of fact, many scientists at LASL relied on Ray's expertise and analytical capabilities to support various research projects. In addition to the science, Ray and I also became good friends.
I eventually took a leave of absence from UC to finish my graduate work. Off and on Ray and I kept in touch over the years, during which time I stayed abreast of his Shroud research. Then, last month, I was watching the 700 Club on CBN and saw a short presentation about Ray's latest finding. I immediately followed-up with CBN and eventually was able to get Ray's e-mail address. On March 3, 2005, I sent him a congratulatory e-mail on his latest Shroud discovery only to discover that he passed away on March 8, 2005.
In retrospect, I am happy that I was privileged to have worked with such a great scientist as Ray Rogers, but of even greater importance, I am blessed to have known Ray as my friend.
Condolences and prayers to Joan and the family...
Gordon D. Perrine, Sr. PhD.
Dear Mr. Schwortz
I received the news of Ray's passing from Joan and have informed most of my colleagues who knew him. Ray was a rare species--a genuinely objective scientist who sought the truth, whatever it might turn out to be. He was also a great friend, and I shall miss him very much indeed.
Sincerely yours,
Jim McCarty
TLN Systems
Phoenix, AZ
For those viewers who are not completely familiar with Ray's background and his extensive scientific expertise, I have included Ray Rogers' Resume on this website. This Acrobat pdf file features a complete bibliography of Ray's published papers and articles and provides some insight into the depth of his experience.
At Ray's request, I will publish his final paper in the next website update in June 2005. Titled "The Shroud of Turin: Radiation Effects, Aging and Image Formation," it includes twelve new photomicrographs that illustrate his final work on the Shroud.
