Mike’s ‘Life Story’ is in the downloads section as Milestones.
Please see Nov. 8 newspaper article at: http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2011/11/08/1709619/mike-fox-supporter-of-nuclear.html#storylink=misearch
and from the Hawaii Reporter Nov 8: http://www.hawaiireporter.com/nuclear-scientist-and-hawaii-reporter-columnist-mike-fox-dies-after-battle-with-cancer/123
It is with profound sorrow that we inform you that Mike Fox left us at 9:45 this evening [Nov. 4, 2011]. He was 74.
Services in Richland, WA, are pending, and will be announced.
We have opened up this blog post for comment. Please feel free to do so.
Mike was one of our best advocates for our profession. Personally, I was grateful to share with him on issues and support him at various public venues.
So sorry to hear that. He was an inspiration. My best wishes for his family and loved ones.
So suprised and sorry to lose Mike. He was a great friend, tennis buddy, and technical inspiration for me and many others. His passing will leave a huge hole in this world. What will we do now to get the heavily researched and intelligent scientific truth on so many subjects. I’ll miss him on many levels. My heart goes out to Jennifer and his kids and his many other friends. Jim
I knew Mike on a level most of his colleagues never saw: many years ago Mike was my parttime handball partner at the CBRC in Richland. He was a big guy as far as handball goes but fired a deadly left hand kill shot that kept all opponents honest. He moved with the grace of Ali and stung twice as hard as his deft left hand delivered blow after blow to that little blue ball in that enclosed space. Mike used to tell me that handball was “physical chess” and I can only be thankful that he never asked me to play a chess game with him.
He also had an excellent grasp on several of the important issues orbiting our present space in time. His insight, wit and perseverance places him beyond 3 sigma amongst his peers. He was unique and can never be replaced.
Mike has been a friend for many years and my go to person for many technical issues including climate change and energy related issues. He is missed already. Mike Poulson
Newly arrived in the Tri Cities, I met Mike Fox at a presentation I gave on Food Irradiation. Over the years he was a great mentor on all things nuclear and an original climate change denier with scientific method reasoning. He had such a wealth of knowledge on so many topics – most vocal in opposition to LNT and ALARA. In the fight for the Fast Flux Test Facility he inspired and a
was a catalyst for the slogan, “Never Give Up”
What an impressive guy – I already miss you, Mike.
Mike came to the Senate and faced down the warmers at a hearing. That took some courage. He also furnished us with solid, realistic information on the climate, which we used at every opportunity. God bless him!
Oh no!!! I had no idea. I am so sad. He was a voice of knowledge and reason in a desert of bureaucracy. I will miss his feisty and contrarian emails. I really relied on his knowledge, input and analysis on state environmental bills. He will be so missed.
Thanks for alerting me. Michael will be missed. God bless him.
Met Mike in emails via WA state senator Jerome Delvin, only had the opportunity to exchange a few, but I certainly appreciate the kindness he extended to me.
My heartfelt condolences to Mike’s family. Dr. Fox made a difference in the world of science, and his voice will be missed. May he rest peacefully in God’s hands
There was only one Mike. He is missed already.
A fantastic fount of knowledge on nuclear topics, Mike was always prompt and comprehensive in his responses to my questions. He encouraged me to speak my mind and invariably added his voice to mine when I tried to shoot down the nonsense from the anti-nuclear activists from Oregon and our west side. I will miss him very much.
I’m wishing I could attend this celebration of Mike. He was a quality and accomplished person and professional. He will be missed on all fronts. Thanks for fighting for us Mike!
God Bless You!
I have had trouble dealing with Mike’s death because he was such a good guy, such a strong supporter of our efforts, such a good scientist, and such a good friend. Since he lived some distance away, most people here knew him only through his e-mails to us. But thanks to Bill Turlay, three of us traveled to one of his presentations in Olympia. I’m very glad I went, because soon after he became very ill. We knew he was not getting any better when he moved to the Everett, Washington area to be closer to the medical care he needed. Before he became completely unable to communicate with us, he produced several Op-Eds in a very short period of time. These were published in Hawaii.
Mike’s last communication to me responded to my Oregonian Op-Ed in July about nuclear power:
“Gordon:
That sounds about right for construction times. The Brits and the French and Japanese can build big plants in under 60 months, about 1/2 the time needed in the US. Regulatory instability was a huge problem in the US.
Paul Lorenzini, head of Nuscale, is a personal friend and ex-boss. Licensing these will be a lengthy process.
Mike”
Nuclear power was Mike’s specialty. He correctly understood that the problems of this industry have a lot to do with the widespread scientific illiteracy in America that has allowed an anti-technology hysteria to gain a strong foothold. We are now faced with agenda-driven science and technology that are far from objective and beneficial. Global Warming is but one of many other examples.
Dr. Michael Fox had a large positive impact on many of us and will be greatly missed.
We will miss you much, Mike… our thoughts and prayers go out to your brothers, kids, wife and extended families…xxoo Dodo
If I might add a thought… I never got the chance to meet Mike, but I spoke to him at length over the phone a couple of years ago, when this group was still getting started. He actually called me after I accidentally left my phone number on a letter to the editor submission that I forwarded! But it was a welcome surprise. Long story short, we had quite a conversation about global warming, environmental radicals, and even nuclear science (he was the one talking about that, of course!) I learned a great deal from him in that single conversation and, of course, in reading his reports. Mike was smart and wise. It’s a shame he had to go so soon.
I am so very sorry to hear of Mike Fox’s passing. I first met Mike at one of his lectures in Bellevue, Washington. He and I began a long correspondence regarding solar energy vs. nuclear energy. Mike was very, very patient with me as I sent him letter after letter not understanding why we should not pursue solar. He answered question after question. He even complimented me on my questions, saying I had a good, “scientific” mind. I thought that was pretty big of him considering I am just a regular person, not in any scientific group.
This past summer I spoke with him on the phone while he was living in Kirkland, WA, and he asked me to pray for him as he knew I was a strong believer in the power of prayer. I did pray for him; and although I know some people have received miracle healings; lung cancer is extremely hard to recover from. I shall miss Mike’s emails……although I only knew him a short time, he was a very good friend, and I deeply respected his knowledge and dedication to trying to open doors to get nuclear energy plants built here in America.
Mike was a strong proponent of the best of nuclear science and technology and an clear speaker on our behalf. We will miss him greatly.
When I met Dr. Fox, he was highly spirited and eager to discuss the important issues. He knew a lot about resource scarcity and, of course, energy policy; he made a lot of good reading recommendations. He was a smart, amiable man, and will definitely be missed. (Posted @ Hawaii Reporter 10Nov2011)
RIP Dr. Michael R. Fox (posted @ JunkScience.com 14Nov2011)
So long, Mike. I appreciated your correspondence on nuclear issues. I will misss your work. (posted @ JunkScience.com 14Nov2011)
I heard about this. Sad to hear. When a group in Seattle wanted to learn about nuclear energy, I recommended him and he and I shared the presentation. The group loved him.
Another time I met a nuclear engineer from the Tri-cities and I asked if she knew Mike Fox. She responded “Everyone knows Mike Fox.”
He leaves a great legacy.
You’ve impesresd us all with that posting!
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