Dr. K was an amazing individual, but I guess we
all know that.
I was a Physics major at DePauw from 1970-1974. What I
remember most was Dr. K’s accessibility, willingness to get involved, and his
thinking out of the box. He organized a Nobel Laureate series that brought in three
recent Nobel Prize winners to meet with students from all the science disciplines.
Although I had limited time with them, they redefined genius, excellence, and
living life. I did not become a scientist, but I benefited from the seminar in more
ways than Dr. K ever imagined. His willingness to go the extra mile and be creative
made all the difference.
Our lives intersected in another way in that we both loved
aviation. Dr. K and I formed a partnership to build an experimental plane during
Winterterm my senior year. He provided sponsorship, financial support, technical
support and lots of TLC. His willingness to share a dream with me and to put his trust in
me was something that goes way beyond just being a teacher. I had a ball and learned
some incredible lessons about aviation and life.
I most recently saw Dr. K on April 17th when my family and I
traveled to DePauw to see him. We had lunch and he gave my sons his “Grand Tour”
of the campus. Below is a picture of my sons (Tim and Chris), Dr. K and I at the
East College Boulder. His energy and love of life was definitely with us that day.
We had a great time.
We send our love, prayers, and sympathies to his family.
Paul’s spirit will live on in the countless lives he has touched on the years.
Ron Large and Family.