Stanton T. Friedman (July 29, 1934-May 13, 2019)

Famed UFO Researcher and Nuclear Physicist Stanton T. Friedman passed away Monday, May 13, at the age of 84. My condolences go out to his family, relatives and close friends who knew him intimately. He will be greatly missed by fellow UFO researchers who had the pleasure of meeting him, conversing with him and debating with him. He paved the way for the pursuit of facts and truth in regards to UFOs and related matters. His absence will be a void in UFOlogy that can never be filled.

If it weren't for Stan, I probably would not have joined MUFON (Mutual UFO Network) as early as I did. In the summer of 1990, while I was at work, I came across a 1-hour phone-in radio show (Radio Noon) he was doing with Christopher Thomas from CBC in Toronto. I later ordered a copy of it on audio cassette and when I could, I got in contact with him. After mentioning the work I had done on UFOs and how I was interested in doing something with the material I had gathered over the years, he suggested that I join MUFON. He also sent me a free book list which he used to include with any purchases that were made from him.

Book List from UFORI

In February of 1991, I became a Field Investigator Trainee for MUFON, and later given the title of Provincial Section Director for Sudbury as a member of MUFON Ontario. I may no longer be a member of MUFON, but I owe it all to Stanton Friedman, whom I later had the privilege of meeting when he spoke at the University of Toronto's Convocation Hall when the Honorable Paul Hellyer first came out to speak about UFOs on September 25th, 2005. It was awesome to see him again later, on three separate occasions between 2015 and 2017. I will miss him greatly and I'll be forever in his debt.

Rest in Peace, Mr. Friedman!

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Larry Hatch, UFO Database Creator, Remembered

Posted by: David Marler - January 3, 2019

In reflecting on the past year, we often think of those individuals we have lost. In the field of UFOlogy, it is no different. Indeed, in recent years, we have lost many pioneers in this field of inquiry. One such pioneer was a man named Larry Hatch who passed away on August 3rd, 2018. Unfortunately, many were not familiar with his passing or the legacy he has left this field of study.

Larry was a computer programmer by trade. His high level of intelligence was rivaled only by his creative talent for developing innovative ideas using the latest technologies. This went way back to Larry’s childhood. At the age of fourteen, he created his own private telephone system for his neighborhood friends to communicate with. We are not talking about the old cup and string concept. Rather, he developed his own actual stand-alone telephone system as this old news clipping from the San Mateo Times reported in the 1960s.

Later in life, Larry’s intellectual prowess persisted. It was no surprise that he eventually became part of the burgeoning computer industry in California where he was born and raised. Larry held many positions starting as a Senior Electronics Technician followed by a long career working for National Semiconductor as an Engineer.

Later, in 1993, Larry branched out on his own as an independent computer contractor. It was during this time that he focused his computer skills on a subject that was always near and dear to his heart – UFOs. Since early childhood, Larry was fascinated with the subject and had some personal experiences that he preferred to keep private.

Larry created from the ground level one of the most robust UFO databases up until that time – the *U* UFO Database. This was a database that the public could use on their home PCs. The *U* Database itself could do queries based on word search, geography, or UFO characteristics. There was also an impressive UFO mapping tool that visually displayed any relevant UFO cases based on your search criteria. This was amazing considering the database was written in a DOS-based environment.

UFO Map from the *U* UFO Database by Larry Hatch

Despite various computer UFO catalogs that had existed, there were only a few computer UFO databases before the *U* Database’s creation. There were the IBM punch data cards employed by the Battelle Memorial Institute in the 1950s used to examine Project Blue Book cases. Then, based on this concept, there was another computer database, compiled at Northwestern University in the 1960s. This included all unidentified cases from Project Blue Book through the efforts of Dr. J. Allen Hynek, Jacques Vallee, et al. This work was eventually turned over to the Condon study at the University of Colorado in 1968 and eventually formed the basis for David Saunders’ UFOCAT database. Other UFOCAT versions were to follow in subsequent years.

The *U* Database also had several updates in later years after its release in 1994 when I first heard of Larry’s creation. Obviously, I had to have a copy for my own UFO research and purchased one of the first versions. After my initial contact with Larry, I had a number of emails interspersed with a few phone calls in the early to mid-nineties. In maintaining ties with him, I was always on the list for any later software updates but also was in a position to eventually provide case material for his latest 2002 update.

Larry had spent thousands of hours combing every possible UFO book and periodical he could get his hands on. In doing so, he took each case documented therein and then converted it into code for database entry. The last tally I saw was over 17,000 UFO cases that Larry personally entered into the database! Most of us cannot imagine the time, dedication, and personal sacrifice he made doing all of this work.

Although he was the sole individual that did all the data entry, he was not alone in gathering the relevant UFO case files and information. Despite avoiding the social scene, Larry was well connected with leading UFO researchers and historians worldwide. Some of these included: Jan Aldrich, Barry Greenwood, Jacques Vallee, Dominique Weinstein, etc.

Jan Aldrich recently informed me that his role was two-fold in collaborating with Larry. First, to properly vet the UFO data for removal of IFO reports or spurious cases. Second, to add interesting cases not formerly in the system. Jan emphasized Larry’s continual work in this area to ensure not only the quantity of information but quality information.

Additional reflections on Larry’s work were conveyed to me by Vallee in the writing of this article. Vallee stated,

“From my point of view, the most memorable lesson from his life is the observation of how much good research can be done by a single person with talent and the willingness to pursue a well-focused goal. Larry single-handedly accomplished what the leading UFO organizations of the time were unable to do with their resources, membership fees and access to media: an effective, well-functioning, cleverly interfaced graphic database of important UFO events! He also managed to build it in a way that made it economically accessible and legible to hundreds of people, on personal computers.”

He further added,

“I was part of Larry’s extensive correspondence network and brought him items that might be of interest in his work. I enjoyed visiting his house “down the Peninsula” and discussing the sightings, as well as gossiping about technology trends: He was indeed a very gifted software designer and implementer, and a kind man with no interest in the quarrels that plagued ufology. He remains an inspiration to me.”

The saddest part regarding the life of the *U* Database was that it was written in a DOS environment. As technology began to improve with numerous versions of Microsoft Windows and Macintosh or Mac computers, the DOS platform went the way of the dinosaur. Consumers then, like today, wanted the latest and greatest. As a result, DOS-based software programs and their followers diminished. So too did the *U* Database audience – for the most part.

Larry Hatch

Over time, I eventually lost touch with Larry in the early 2000s. I always meant to re-connect at some point. But I had heard rumors years later through the UFO grapevine that he was in ill-health. I had also heard that he retired to a nursing home. However, in speaking with older researchers who knew Larry more than myself, they too weren’t 100% sure what his status was at the time. It was a mystery.

Recently in November of 2018, after many years of losing touch with Larry, I saw items for sale on eBay that stated they were from the Larry Hatch collection. Eager to have these for my UFO research library, I purchased the items. I noticed the return address had the name of the seller, Yvonne Hatch. I thought to myself this must be a relative of Larry’s. My suspicions were proven correct.

I was able to email and then eventually call Yvonne Hatch who turned out to be Larry’s niece. She regrettably informed me that her late-uncle had passed away due to medical complications on August 3rd, 2018. She and other family members were dealing with the aftermath of his passing. This is what resulted in some of his UFO items surfacing on eBay.

Yvonne was gracious with her time, and she told me things about Larry I did not know from his personal life. She provided the photos included with this article. Yvonne stated her late-uncle was a man of high-intellect who had a passion for the subject of UFOs as evidenced by his tenacious data gathering and data entry that ultimately created the *U* Database. From the conversations we had, I could also feel the bond she had with her uncle and the subsequent loss with his passing.

I am not ashamed to admit that I have in my UFO research room to this day a fully-functioning DOS-based computer that is still running my version of the *U* Database. It was and continues to be extremely instrumental in my UFO studies. When fellow-researchers come to visit, I always try to make it a point to introduce them to the database as it proves useful in many research endeavors.

But more importantly, I tell them about the creator of the *U* Database, Larry Hatch. He was a man who was never to be seen at a UFO conference or UFO meeting. He never wanted to be the focus of attention. Instead, he wanted to be a facilitator in providing UFO data in a manageable form for serious researchers. To that end, he succeeded – admirably.

I wanted to pay tribute to Larry and let the UFO community know about his demise. But, as in these types of situations, not to just mourn his passing. It is a time to also celebrate the man’s contributions to the UFO research field. I hope memories of him and his *U* Database will live on. As Vallee stated, “He remains an inspiration.”

Download this PDF with information about the *U* UFO Database.

Source:

http://www.openminds.tv/larry-hatch-ufo-database-creator-remembered/42142

Art Bell (1945 - 2018)

Radio Host Art Bell Dies at 72

The life of Art Bell is impossible to encapsulate or summarize. He brought to global consciousness ideas that have a memetic voracity and staying power as powerful Einstein’s; and he did so with a flare, style, and humor that was entirely unique unto himself. Even after he left his brainchild, Coast to Coast AM, he effortlessly spawned multiple generations of alternative media talking heads, researchers, and authors—be they mainstream, underground, or online. People who don’t even know they have been influenced by Bell produce material that carry his torch, and they have done so for decades. Whether it in the form of the ‘X-Files’ or ‘The Sixth Sense’, it is all the spawn of Art Bell.

Here is an individual who brought earthly culture everything from demonic possession to the most vanguard physics—and he did so all night long. Bell was a fountainhead and a nexus for what he called the Quickening—that something deeply odd rested at the heart of existence. And this oddity seems to be growing in leaps and bounds by the day. Furthermore, he was a marvelous story-teller, and he was capable of prying the most interesting possibilities from his thousands of guests and callers. He was also simply a great talker—a talker that, if you’re in the business of talking, stands as an icon among icons. Bell was the Larry King of the weird and wonderful. Bell is the American campfire ghost story.

Lastly, for us nocturnal creatures, Bell was the captain of the nightscape’s immeasurable legions. He was the legend of legends. And accomplished all of this largely from his home studio. All of YouTube and podcasting is but the aftermath of Art Bell’s operation. His auspicious death on Friday the 13th strikes with Bell’s own signature supernatural dazzle, so that one can not help but think that maybe—just maybe—there really is something to this paranormal avalanche after all. So with admiration and affection, I will share one of my favorite pieces he ever produced—the story of The Shadow People and the Native American mystery school elders who have been engaging them in secret for centuries. So one more time from The Kingdom of Nye, it’s Art Bell! Wanna take a ride?

Jim Marrs (1943 - 2017)

Official Obituary: JIM MARRS was born December 5, 1943 in Ft Worth, Texas. He died from a heart attack August 2, 2017 at his home in Wise County. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Carol, his two daughters, Cathryn Lafitte of Fort Worth, Jayme Castle and her husband, Chris Castle, his brother David and wife Sandy of Bridgeport, and grandchildren, Moxy, Jackson, and Scout.

Jim Marrs earned a degree in journalism from the University of North Texas and attended graduate school at Texas Tech in Lubbock. He has worked for several Texas newspapers, including the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Beginning in1976 until his retirement in 2007, Marrs taught a course on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy at the University of Texas at Arlington. In 1989, his book, Crossfire: The Plot That Killed Kennedy, was published to critical acclaim and reached the New York Times Paperback Non-Fiction Best Seller List. It became a basis for the Oliver Stone film JFK.

Other books by Marrs include Alien Agenda (1997) which was the top-selling non-fiction UFO book in the world, Rule by Secrecy (2000), The Terror Conspiracy Revisited (2007), The Rise of the Fourth Reich, (2008) and The Trillion-Dollar Conspiracy (2010), Our Occulted History (2013), Population Control (2015), and his last book The Illuminati (2017).

Marrs has appeared on ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, CSPAN, and the Discovery, Learning and History Channels; Good Morning America, Geraldo, Montel Williams, Today, Tech TV and Larry King Live; and the George Noory, Art Bell, Jimmy Church, Alex Jones and Jeff Rense programs, and many other local and regional programs.

_____________________

Acclaimed investigative journalist and beloved member of the conspiracy theory and UFO research community, Jim Marrs, has passed away.

After several years working as a reporter for a variety of Texas newspapers, Marrs achieved worldwide notoriety for his landmark book Crossfire, which examined inconsistencies in the official story of the JFK assassination.

A New York Times bestseller, Crossfire, proved to be so powerful that it served as the basis, along with another book, for the Oliver Stone film JFK.

Marrs went on to write a pair of highly influential works in the form of Alien Agenda and Rule by Secrecy as well as one of the first books on the US government's remote viewing program with Psi Spies.

In the wake of 9/11, Marrs turned his attention to that tragic event and uncovered a wealth of information which suggested that something was amiss with the 'official' version of events, which was brought together in the book The Terror Conspiracy.

Through later books like Rise of the Fourth Reich, Our Occulted History, and Population Control, he warned about the surreptitious and worrisome nature of the 'New World Order' and various ways in which the 'powers that be' seemed to be advancing their agenda.

An indefatigable researcher, Marrs produced a number of additional works in recent years, including a fiction offering titled Sisterhood of the Rose.

A fixture of Coast to Coast, he appeared on the program on over 40 different occasions, detailing his latest findings for C2C listeners as well as participating in panel discussions on the JFK assassination and the UFO phenomenon.

An undisputed giant in the field of esoteric research, Jim Marrs will be deeply missed by his many friends in the paranormal and conspiracy community as well as the countless readers and Coast listeners who were enlightened by his work.

_____________________

Jim Marrs, author and conspiracy theorist, dies

By Racey Burden | Published August 3, 2017

Jim Marrs, an author and conspiracy theorist who studied the Aurora alien spaceship crash of 1897, died Wednesday. He was 73.

According to a post on Marrs’ official Facebook page, he died following a heart attack. Marrs bowed out of speaking engagements earlier this year due to poor health.

Marrs is best known for his book on the John F. Kennedy assassination, “Crossfire: The Plot That Killed Kennedy,” and his book “Alien Agenda,” which delved into the world of UFOs.

Marrs told the Messenger in a 2011 interview that the Aurora spaceship crash was the best evidence of UFOs he’d ever seen.

“I think the Aurora story is as strong as you can get,” he said. “It had contemporary reports from newspapers. And it was corroborated with all these other stories.”

According to Marrs’ Facebook page, his family will hold a “Texas-sized” wake for him at their home next month.

Frankie Rowe ( - 2017)

On Saturday, July 29, 2017, Donald Raymond Schmitt announced the following:

"It is with true sadness that I report on the passing of a true lady and champion of all of our Roswell witnesses, Frankie Rowe. We brought Frankie back to Roswell for festival just a month ago and it continues to demonstrate the true finality of our relationships with all of these wonderful people who, like Frankie, were truly part of our Roswell family. Frankie was an exception. She was family, a first-hand witness to the events at Roswell, and she even participated in our parade through downtown Roswell. And she loved every minute of it and we loved her! Frankie's star may have dimmed but it will shine even brighter in our hearts - we will always remember."

_____________________

Frankie Rowe was one of the few surviving witnesses of the Roswell Crash who claimed to have held actual wreckage. Rowe was 12 years-old at the time of the incident.

Rowe's father, Dan Dwyer, was a Roswell Fireman. According to Rowe, Dwyer went out to investigate what he assumed was a crashed airplane only to discover it to be not from this world. Dwyer claimed to have seen a child-size being with large dark eyes, brown skin, and no hair stumbling around the scene. Later, a piece of the wreckage that displayed strange properties would be shown to Rowe. Rowe claimed the piece could be crumpled up and that it would return immediately to its proper shape. Rowe claimed the next day that military men came to the house and threatened them with the implication that they would be killed if they ever talked of what they had experienced. Rowe's story was verified by her sister, Helen Cahill. Cahill did not live with her family at the time but recalls that her parents told her the story of what had happened.

Controversy: Frankie Rowe had been the target of a smear campaign involving both debunkers and believers in the Roswell Crash as being extraterrestrial. Unfortunately, several lies have been told, such as that Frankie's father wasn't truly a fireman. Such lies can easily be proven wrong with research.

One of the researchers who initially rejected Rowe's story was researcher Karl Pflock who had interviewed three former firemen who all claimed that they never made runs outside of city limits as well as that they never responded to any crash on the day in question. Investigator Kevin Randle has rescued Rowe's reputation by producing documentation revealing that the firemen did indeed make runs outside of city limits, as well as testimony from another fireman who claimed that Dan Dwyer took his own personal vehicle to the crash scene. As it stands today, Frankie Rowe's story has not been discredited.

Source: http://thedemoniacal.blogspot.ca/2012/06/frankie-rowe-repost-for-65th.html

Donald Mulligan (1926 - 2017)

The family announces the passing of Donald (Don) Michael Mulligan on February 8th, 2017 at Pioneer Manor at the age 90. Beloved husband of Rosemary (nee Bell) predeceased. Father of Anne-Marie, Sheila (predeceased), Patti-Lynne (Lorne), Dan (Pam), Nora (Rudy) and Michael (Glenda). Grandfather to 11: Sheila, Will, Jessica, Samuel, Julia, Kristy, Rebecca, Riley, Katie, Megan, Liam and great grandfather of 5.

Don was born at St. Joseph's Hospital in Sudbury on August 31,1926, son of Thomas and Stella Mulligan (nee Walsh) both predeceased. He is survived by his brother Bill (Dolores predeceased) (Jean) and predeceased by all other siblings and their spouses Marian Sackfield(Fred), Joyce Gore(Joseph) and Tom(Peggy). A graduate of St. Michael's College School in 1945, Don returned to the Sudbury region and married Rosemary in 1949. With an intrepid spirit and a willingness to take on any challenge, Don was associated with the mining business for 45 years; miner, salesman, sales manager, entrepreneur and business owner of D&R Enterprises. He was instrumental in introducing retro-reflective products to the Canadian mining industry in the form of striping for coveralls, hazard demarcation and underground signage. All are industry standards today.

No remembrance of Don could be complete without his most treasured possession, ‘'The Camp''. Bought sight unseen from an ad in the North Bay Nugget, the family learned to love and respect nature during the full summers they spent there. Located on the south shore of Lake Nipissing the location was and remains water access only. Stories of the seven mile voyages on the large, wildly unpredictable lake ran the gamut between joyful and cringe worthy. Upon retirement, Don & Rosemary moved to Wasi Lake near Powassan so they could divide their time between a fully serviced home and The Camp. After Rosemary's passing in 2005, Don moved back to Sudbury to be closer to medical care and family. The family would like to thank the staff at Pioneer Manor, especially Lise, Lori L. Chantelle, Jessie and Angie for their dedicated care over the past 8 1/2 years. At Don's request, there will no visitation or service. Interment and a celebration of Don's life will be held at a future date. Arrangements entrusted to the Jackson and Barnard Funeral Home.

******

I met Mr. Don Mulligan at Pioneer Manor a few years ago when I interviewed him about his UFO Encounter he had in 1975. I had received a call from his son who said that his dad had something he wanted to get off his chest in relation to UFOs. I made time to go to Pioneer Manor where he was a resident, and with the help of my friend Todd Fraser (who works there), I proceeded with the recording of his personal account, both in audio and video. His story can be heard here.

Errol Bruce-Knapp...a legend in is own right!

Rest in Peace, my friend!

It is with deep sorrow that I received the news that my friend and webhost, Errol Bruce-Knapp has passed away. He has left a legacy that will linger for years to come. He was one of the Pirate Radio pioneers of the 1960s and a fellow UFO eyewitness. He will be greatly missed by one and all who knew him in person, or would listen to his podcasts after he had been hosting "Strange Days...Indeed" with Victor Viggiani at CFRB 1010 Newstalk in Toronto. Peterborough, Ontario was his last place of residence where he spent his last days. I am honored to have known him! A great day of sadness indeed... Errol passed away on August 11, 2016 at 10 p.m. EST.

Founder of Roswell's UFO Museum quietly passes away

Glenn Dennis

Updated: 05/01/2015 7:53 PM | Created: 05/01/2015 7:43 PM
By: Lauren Hansard, KOB Eyewitness News 4

A prominent person in Roswell recently died. He was buried before a lot of people even knew he was gone.

Glenn Dennis said he was one of the witnesses of the 1947 UFO crash near Roswell. He passed away on Tuesday and was laid to rest sometime this week.

While Dennis’ family has chosen not to come forward with the details of his death, KOB took a look back at his legacy.

He was a founder of Roswell's famous UFO Museum.

His claim to fame? He claims someone called him about needing sealed caskets.

At the time, he was working at Ballard Funeral home. He also claims a nurse confided in him about seeing alien bodies.

Over the years, his stories have been featured in several books written about the UFO crash.

In early 1990, he and Lieutenant Walter Haut got together with realtor Max Littell to form the UFO Museum.

"Of course most of us thought to ourselves, 'why would you do that?'” said former Roswell Mayor Bill Owen. “How many people could ever have an interest in coming to where Roswell is to see a UFO museum?"

Owen was on city council when the museum was founded.

He says Dennis had a vision for the museum, believing it would be a success even when others doubted it.

"They certainly had the foresight and the dedication and the dream to make this museum happen, and of course they did. Roswell is the beneficiary of their early work and their early desire to see something made of this incident," said Owen.

Now the UFO Museum sees 180,000 visitors every year from around the world and has sparked the city’s tourism industry.

Owen says Dennis contributed to Roswell greatly and will be missed.

"[He] was a great person to have involved within our community and he will be greatly missed,” said Owen. “He certainly contributed many great things, many great ideas. He will be missed for sure."

Source: http://www.kob.com/article/stories/s3784006.shtml#.VUWLcpN26tP

Vincent Hickey
(1933 - 2013)

Dr. Jessie Marcel, Jr.
(1936-2013)

A great American died on August 24, 2013, of an apparent heart attack. Dr. Jessie Marcel, Jr. was a star witness at the Citizen Hearing on Disclosure where he testified alongside his daughter Denice and son Jessie Marcel, III.

Marlene Johnson
October 7, 1935 - February 14, 2012
Sudbury, Ontario, Canada

I met Marlene while co-hosting a half-hour radio program on UFOs and related matters - during the late 1990s - at CKLU 96.7 FM located on the campus of Laurentian University here in Sudbury. She had been hosting a show called "Sounds for Seniors" right before it was my turn to be on the air. It was then that I found out about her exploits in the 1960s as a local member of APRO (Aerial Phenomena Research Organization) and NICAP (National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena) which were both based in the U.S. Most of her files had been lost when she got divorced from her husband, and I deeply regret never having taken the time to record her stories on tape. Nonetheless, she will be greatly missed, and will always be remembered for the fascinating life that she led. Rest in peace, my friend.

Lou Farish
April 27, 1937 - January 26, 2012
Plumerville, Arkansas

Lou Farish (pictured left) with his good friend Jerry Blackburn

Lucius Farish was Editor of the UFO Newsclipping Service and Director of the Ozark UFO Conference for nearly a quarter century. His struggle with cancer ended on January 26, 2012. A memorial service will be held at the Harris Funeral Home in Morrilton at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 4, 2012. See Harris Funeral Homes.

Front page of the December 2005 UFO Newsclipping Service.

Budd Hopkins dies Peacefully in New York at age 80

Budd Hopkins
June 15, 1931 – August 21, 2011

Budd Hopkins was a central figure in abduction phenomenon and related UFO research. He was also a painter, sculptor and raconteur of note. Born in 1931 and raised in Wheeling, West Virginia. He graduated from Oberlin College in 1953, that same year moving to New York City, where he lived until his death.

In 1964, Hopkins and two others saw a UFO in daylight for several minutes. Fascinated, he joined the now-defunct UFO research group NICAP and began reading many UFO books and articles.

In 1975, Hopkins and Ted Bloecher studied a multiple-witness UFO report, the North Hudson Park UFO sightings which occurred in New Jersey. In 1976, the Village Voice printed Hopkins' account of the investigation.

Hopkins began receiving regular letters from other UFO witnesses, including a few cases of what would later be called "missing time" — inexplicable gaps in one's memory, associated with UFO encounters.

With Bloecher and psychologist Aphrodite Clamar, Hopkins began investigating the missing time experiences, and eventually came to conclude that the missing time cases were due to alien abduction.

By the late 1980s, Hopkins was one of the most prominent people in ufology, earning a level of mainstream attention that was nearly unprecedented for the field.

Stuart Miller

Very sad news - British ufologist Stuart Miller, who published UFO Review for years, and later the short-lived Alien Worlds Magazine, was killed in a motorcycle accident this past May. News has just now filtered out to his friends within "ufology", as Stuart had largely withdrawn from the "field" after Alien Worlds folded.

Nick Redfern has posted his thoughts on Stuart's passing, and Paul Kimball has a nice write-up of his personal experience with Stuart over at his blog, describing him as "one of the truly good guys in ufology...a genuinely good man, full of joie de vivre, wit, humour, and a true spirit of adventure and humanity. He will be missed by all who were lucky enough to know him."

Bob Pratt

Source: The Palm Beach Post - West Palm Beach, Florida, USA

http://tinyurl.com/d6nut

November 25, 2005

Robert Pratt, Newspaperman, Author Of UFO Books, Articles, Dies At 79
By Michael Browning
Staff Writer

Earth and outer space, home and visitors from afar, are bound to come up when friends and relatives of Robert V. Pratt come to the Dorsey-E. Earl Smith Funeral Home this afternoon from 4-6 p.m. to meet his widow, Faith, and discuss his passing.

Mr. Pratt was an evangelist for UFOs. The Lake Worth resident wrote about them in manifold articles for The National Enquirer. He published two books about them, UFO Danger Zone: Terror and Death in Brazil - Where Next? in 1996 and Night Siege: The Hudson Valley UFO Sightings, in 1987.

He traveled the world, often at his own expense, interviewing eyewitnesses to extraterrestrial objects that he described as often behaving cruelly and capriciously, dropping globes of fire, he said, on innocent farmers in Brazil.

He never saw one single solitary UFO in his entire life, but he came to believe in them passionately. It was a belief even his own wife did not share, though she stayed married to him for 50 years.

"The first 30 years you squabble. The 20 years after that are wonderful," Faith Pratt said Thursday, shedding tears on Thanksgiving Day. "He would leave me notes, saying things like "You are my love."

Mr. Pratt was a very curious man. His own self-written obituary, edited by his wife, says he died Monday, November 21, 2005, at a local hospital following a brief illness. He was 79. He worked for many newspapers for 48 years.

But the last eight years of his professional career were the strangest. After decades in mainstream journalism, he switched to tabloid journalism and became convinced that UFOs were real.

Interest turned to belief. Belief became obsession. Mr. Pratt ultimately claimed to have talked to more than 2,000 people who had had UFO experiences.

During the six years he worked as a UFO reporter for the Enquirer, he traveled to Brazil four times.

In recognition of his research in Brazil, on May 3, 2003, at a conference in the city of Curitiba in southern Brazil, he was given a diploma naming him an Ufologo Brasileiro Honorario or Honorary Brazilian Ufologist. Seventy-eight Brazilian ufologists signed the diploma, his wife said.

She never went with him to Brazil, and she never shared his belief in UFOs.

"No," she declared. "I didn't care about them. I cared about him."

In addition to his wife, Mr. Pratt is survived by his son, Alan Collins Pratt of New York. Another son, Robert Scott Pratt, died in 1975 at 17. A cousin, Richard Taylor of Boca Raton, and numerous nieces and nephews in California also survive him.

The Dorsey-E. Earl Smith Funeral Home is at 3041 Kirk Road in Lake Worth.

Leonard H. Stringfield
(1920–1994)

Leonard Stringfield was an American Ufologist who took particular interest in crashed flying saucer stories. He died in 1994.

Stringfield was director of Civilian Research, Interplanetary Flying Objects (CRIFO), and published a monthly newsletter, ORBIT. In 1957 he became public relations adviser for the civilian UFO group NICAP under the direction of Donald Keyhoe, a friend of his since 1953. From 1967-1969, Stringfield served as an "Early Warning Coordinator" for the Condon Committee. During the 1970s, he wrote a number of books about alleged recoveries of alien spaceships and alien bodies.

In 1978, Stringfield served as UFO research adviser to Grenada Prime Minister Sir Eric Gairy. Privately, Stringfield worked as Director of Public Relations and Marketing Services for DuBois Chemicals, a division of Chemed Corporation, Cincinnati. He self-published "Status Reports" on alleged UFO "crash-retrievals" until his death. He died December 18, 1994 after a long battle with lung cancer.