Berni Rolf Simoneit

It is with a heavy heart and great sadness that we let you know Bernd “Berni” Rolf Tatsuo Simoneit, loving husband, adored uncle, friend, professor and world-renown scientific researcher, passed away in his home on July 23, 2023 surrounded by loved ones. He was 85 years old. He always lived his own way, and stayed true to form spending every last moment with the people he loved, defying the doctors by surviving his first move to hospice by almost a year, during which he managed to drive up to BC twice, fly to Arizona, and make numerous smaller trips, as well as catch up and continue working with a multitude of friends and colleagues he’d gathered during his life, so well lived. Berni was born between the world wars on September 7, 1937 to Kurt and Anna (nee Dietrich) Simoneit in Heilbronn, Germany. He credits his mother with installing and nurturing his sense of curiosity, which was evident in everything he did in life and every conversation he had. He spent a lot of time exploring the woods near his home, often pretending to be in frontier America. He gave his family many a scare, including tripping while running through the woods with an open knife resulting in a hospital stay and scarred abdomen. His sister Dagmar joined the family when he was 7. In his early teens his parents made the difficult decision to immigrate to North America, which fit well with Berni’s love of travel, sense of curiosity, and desire to wear cowboy boots and Western style shirts. The family settled in Rhode Island where he graduated from Warwick Veterans Memorial High School and earned his undergrad from the University of Rhode Island. He then went on to attend Boston University and MIT, after which he made the leap to the West Coast, to work at the Space Sciences Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley. While in the Bay area he attended a party where he met the love of his life, Doreen (Gee), a flight attendant with Pan Am. He did not get her number (this was before the Internet or cellphones, and she was the guest of a guest), but to Doreen’s amazement he found her and so began their lifelong adventure, exploring the world. Berni loved being part of the extended Gee family and joined in the family games and celebrations. While most of the Gees reside in England, Doreen’s sister Jenny, husband Mike, and daughters moved to BC, Canada, which allowed the families to spend much more time together including almost every Christmas. Berni accepted a position at what is now the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University and in 1981 they moved to Corvallis, Oregon, a town they fell in love with and where they created deep roots. They quickly developed lifelong friendships which are like extended family and are supportive to this day. A year later, 10 year old Amanda, Mike and Jenny’s eldest daughter, moved in for what was supposed to be a year but turned into 8, and she became their daughter. Berni was an avid collector. He collected stamps, coins, and rocks and among many other interests and was a connoisseur of red wine, mushrooms (especially freshly picked chanterelles), and good food. His favourite hobby, though, was traveling. His home office is referred to as ‘the museum’ and it reflects his interests in space, western frontier history, geology, and travel, interspersed amongst the stacks of meticulously organized research documents. He had a style of his own, in particular, preferring Balinese and Guayabera shirts, and avoiding formal wear whenever possible. He was rarely home for more than a couple weeks in a row as there were always new places to explore, people to talk to, and samples to collect and examine. He made friends with colleagues and their families around the world, often visiting them or taking them along on his adventures. Among the many with decades of fond memories to look back on are Doreen, Amanda Hillis (Robert) of Vancouver, BC and her sisters Sarah Day (Chris) of Duncan, BC and Caroline Taylor (Simon) of Auckland, NZ, and his sister Dagmar Huber. He was the beloved Opa of Taylor and Aiden Hillis, Matthew, Landon, and Nathan Day, and Emma and Eliza Taylor; a dear brother-in-law to Doreen’s siblings Christopher (Nancy), Jenny (Mike), Robin (Jen), and sister-in-law Gloria; and deeply adored uncle to their 11 children and families, to Dagmar’s children Debbie, Kim, Laurel, Mike and Heinz and their families, and to the children of many close friends. Following Berni’s wishes there will be no formal ceremony, but your memories are very much wanted. Please share below. If you feel compelled to honor his memory with a financial contribution, make a donation to the charity of your choice that reflects your memories of him. His close colleagues Joan O. Grimalt (Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), Barcelona) and Phil Meyers (Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor) have written a touching obituary covering his professional life which has been published on the Geochemical Society website which we encourage you to read.. https://www.geochemsoc.org/news/2023/08/03/bernd-berni-rt-simoneit-1937-2023

Berni Rolf Simoneit

September 7, 1937 - July 23, 2023