http://oldweb.geog.berkeley.edu/PeopleHistory/faculty/HoosonMemorial/DavidHooson_Memories.html
I am very sad to learn about another vast loss to Humanity, to Academia, to UC, Berkeley and to Human Geography.
David Hooson was probably one of the men with the greatest generosity of spirit I have encountered in my life.
His courses were a 360 degree vista to human ecology with the finest sensitivity to the human condition paralleled only to the one I learned about in Bernard Q. Nietschmann’s courses at Berkeley.
David Hooson will ever have a special place in my heart for being most kind to me in several critical junctions in my career: (a) the admission to the doctoral program in the department, (b) while I was a doctoral student at UC, Berkeley, 1978-1983, as an international student in his courses, in need for TLC while facing the liability of newness to the academic landscape at UCB (c) meeting with me when my doctoral advisor, Prof. Allan Pred was on Sabbatical and I was writing my thesis, (d) his most WARM greetings at the end of the graduation ceremony, 5/1983, when I held my 18 month old son in my arms, he said to me, “Aviva, you are the only PhD we had, to have a baby while a doctoral student, and to graduate in five years, our average used to be 7 1/4 years” (e) a lengthy conversation during an Open House weekend in the Department in the late 80s, (f) a conversation during the Memorial to James E. Vance, Jr., (g) a conversation at a Memorial Lecture to Professor Carl O. Sauer, and on our last meeting at the Centennial celebration to the department.
David Hooson and no other man, has let me feel during the moments he offered his undivided attention to me, that for me, I deserve to be on the stage and for him, he ought to offer himself to this dyad encounter without reservation, unconditional and the time can and should flow, how much it is needed to complete an intellectual exchange, with content, merit and otherwise, unmet European style, as only an Englishman is natural in, as Prof. Hooson showed us all what is it all about.
To Prof. Hooson’s family, I say to you, His expressive face is in front of my eyes and I am tearing. His legacy as a Humanist will remain eternal in the minds of all his colleagues and all his students — a touching smile just to comfort the other’s heart. He put so many at peace with themselves, he has reached Cosmological Peace now.
Aviva Lev-Ari, PhD’83
http://oldweb.geog.berkeley.edu/PeopleHistory/faculty/HoosonMemorial/DavidHooson_Memories.html
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