On Sunday, February 6, 2022, we lost our dear friend and colleague Rick Benson to a tragic accident while he was trimming trees to help his community and neighbors. Rick has been a huge presence within IRIS for the past 28 years as part of the IRIS Data Management Center. Rick led the “engine room” team at the DMC, as the operations group is called. In this role, Rick collaborated with people all over the world to facilitate receiving and archiving data at the DMC. For those who requested data from the DMC, Rick was the primary interface, answering questions, providing cheerful and tireless instructions and training. An entire generation of seismologists have come of age knowing that Rick was the go-to person for all questions around data access, networks, and more. Rick’s tragic passing has created a huge hole in our organization and the seismology community at large.
Family Obiturary
Rick B. Benson, scientist, bike racer, best dad ever invented, husband, son, brother, uncle, and friend, was tragically taken from us on February 6th, 2022. He was doing what he loved. Out enjoying his cabin time, working in the woods, he was struck while cutting down a tree. He was 61.
Born in Roseville, California, just outside of Sacramento, Rick spent his early years living in many different states as the child of an Air Force family. He spoke the most about his childhood memories from California, Oklahoma, and Cape Cod, and fondly remembered the times he would camp on Fish Lake in Washington with his dad and brothers. Rick graduated from the University of Washington with his bachelor’s degree in Geology, having paid his way through college by working the night shifts at the UW hospital and managing his apartment’s building in Seattle. He started his career as a research scientist at the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, where he was introduced to his passion for field work while working on Mt. St. Helens during its eruption in 1980. He helped set up what was, for a long time, the highest seismic station on Mount Rainier. For the last 29 years, he served the seismology community as the Director of Operations at the IRIS DMC. There, Rick tirelessly promoted the concepts of freely open and accessible scientific data. He helped to organize and teach at numerous workshops around the world, training seismologists from dozens of countries in the tools and techniques of open international data exchange. Rick traveled to six continents sharing his knowledge with the world’s seismologists during his long tenure with IRIS. Always available to lend a hand, share his experience, or be a good listener, Rick was the go-to person at the DMC to make things better for his staff. When things were broken, it was Rick that usually volunteered to fix them, always with an infectious smile on his face. At work and at home, Rick made things better for everyone.
Rick loved his family more than anything. He was a proud father to his daughter Hannah, who was his world. Even though she lived for many years on the other side of the country, he was always in communication with her, sending her messages to remind her of how much he loves her. He once took her climbing to the top of Mt. Baker, and when her knee gave out part way down, he carried her the rest of the way down the mountain. Every time he did something selfless for his daughter, he always reminded her that he was only doing it “Cuz I love you.” Rick was a loving husband and partner of 32 years. We were a great team. From the projects of remodeling our homes and building our cabin, to our adventures in traveling and cycling. I will miss hearing “Pot Pie!” and my big bear hug every morning.
A generous friend, co-worker and neighbor, Rick leaves behind a void like no other in so many people's lives. He was the most loving, kind, caring, and giving person. He always greeted everyone with his bright white smile and funny jokes. He had endless energy to go around. He loved to help everyone. If anyone even mentioned a project they were about to start, the conversion instantly became “we can do…” (I think you all know what I am talking about). Rick did so much for so many–he was the "fix it" guy–and he wasn't afraid to do anything. Because of that, he was a real inspiration to his brothers. As a team, they accomplished much more because of him. He deeply loved riding his bike and the community of friends that he built bike racing and road riding with over the years.
Rick was known fondly by several names, but gave out even more nicknames to those he loved. There was “Waldo” (as in Where’s Waldo?), for how he would slip away from a group setting to wander and explore until no one knew where he had ventured off to. So many times someone would talk about a city or country and Rick would say “Oh I lived there,” or “I’ve been there!” There was “Ranger Rick,” for his love of the outdoors. He always wanted to be biking, hiking, camping, and most of all building a giant fire to sit by just so he could smell like campfire smoke. He was “Second Dad” to Hannah’s best friend Nicola as he created a family out of his long-time friends. Rick had silly nicknames for everyone he cared about, and often used his own made-up words in everyday conversation, sometimes to the point that only those he was closest to could fully understand what he meant.
Rick is survived by his wife Diane and his beloved daughter Hannah. He is preceded in death by his father John and brother-in-law Larry, and survived by his mother Jan Gannett, his brothers John, Don, and Shannon, sisters-in-law Debbie, Darise, Sue Ann, and Lynette, and brothers-in-law Kurt and Gerry. He is also survived by his nieces and nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews, and friends whom he considered family.
This obituary was written by Hannah Benson and Diane Thomas with contributions from Rick’s colleagues and family. Please leave your own messages and memories of Rick on this page for us all to remember him better.
Rick’s family will hold a Celebration of Life on July 11th from 7pm to 10pm at the Center for Urban Horticulture. Join us in gathering together to celebrate and share stories about the amazing life of Rick that we were all so very lucky to be a part of. Please Copy this link for details and to RSVP.
https://www.eventcreate.com/e/rickbenson
We encourage everyone to use this on-line memorial as a way to share memories and photos of Rick or messages to Rick’s family.
We will sorely miss Rick's smile, energy, cheerful optimism, helpfulness, and humor. We all extend our deepest sympathies to Rick’s family.
Bob Woodward, IRIS President
Rick Aster, Chair, IRIS Board of Directors
Jerry Carter, Director, IRIS Data Services
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About |
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| Name | Rick Benson |
| Date of Birth | July 20th, 1960 |
| Date of Death | February 6th, 2022 |
| Home Town | Seattle, WA, US |
| Other City | Glacier, WA, US |
| In Memoriam Donation | WaterAid |
| In Memoriam Donation | Smithsonian Science Education Center |
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Milestones |
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|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 - 2022 | Deputy Director, IRIS DMC Operations | ||
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published a tribute .
Rick was one of the best people that I've ever known. Knowing him made me a better person, and I will remain in awe and grateful for that for the rest of my life. He blessed the earth with his presence and I feel blessed to have known him.
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published a tribute .
Today is Saturday, January 7th, 2023, and I just learned of Rick's death at about 5:00 am in the morning. How? I was googling IRIS DMC and his name was no longer on the roster, so I thought he had retired, then at some point his death notice popped up on MyKeeper.com. I have some pictures of myself, Rick and others at
a lunchtime afternoon tea while working at IRIS, and I wanted to print
these out and get them to Rick. Anyway, I last interacted with Rick on
January 20th, 2022 via email. I was letting him know that our former
colleague Rauol Titus had died just three months be4 in Oct of 2021 from brain cancer. What I didn't know was that Rick himself would be dead just 17 days after my email. He mentioned that IRIS had moved and was going back to their new office in March of 2022; unfortunately he didn't live long enough to return to the new office after the Covid pandemic. I wish I could have gotten those pics to you Rick. Your family is welcome to contact me and I will make copies for them if they want. I've prayed often for you and your family Rick, and I hope you had the relationship with God that He wanted for you, cuz I want to see you again someday up in "the cloud". Not that I'm one of the most perfect people on this earth; I'm saved by His grace, and good thing, as I sure can be a spiritual screw-up myself at times. As I type this, tears are running down my face, and I don't cry that easily, that often, or over everyone's death. Sometimes although sad about someone's death, the tears just don't come. But for you and your family Rick, I can't seem to make them stop. I know you're no longer here to see this message Rick, so I just hope and pray God passes this on to you.
You are deeply loved and missed by many. Until we meet again....
Glynis Wilson (your friend and former colleague)
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published a tribute .
I have somehow only just heard the news of Rick’s passing, and although I don’t have words for how sad this is it seems important to add one more voice to those of all of those folks whose lives were brighter because they knew Rick. I was hired by the USGS around the same time that Rick was hired by the UW, and we shared a lot of quality time in the dungeon (aka, the UW geophysics bldg. basement) during the excitement of Mt St Helens. Rick’s always upbeat demeanor and enthusiasm no matter the circumstances was a large part of what made that time quality. Throughout the decades since we both moved on I always visited the IRIS booth at every AGU and SSA meeting I attended to look for Rick so we could catch up, usually over lunch or dinner. Neither of us had any professional need to do so, but no matter how busy the meeting, catching up with Rick was always a priority. Reading all these comments, often through watery eyes, I realize how much there was to Rick that I didn’t know, especially how many lives he touched deeply, although it makes sense. He was the kind of guy who made everyone he met feel like they were his good friend, I’m sure because that’s how Rick really felt about most people he met. Like so many others who’ve commented here, I’d reminded that I should try to be more like Rick. My heart goes out to his family.
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published a tribute .
I hired Rick to read digital earthquake seismograms of Mt St Helens and Pacific Northwest earthquakes recorded at the University of Washington Geophysics Program. I taught him to read, locate, and evaluate the earthquakes. Little did I know at the time that I had made one of my two or three most important contributions to Geophysics simply by getting Rick started on his career.
Rick was an always-reliable, always-cheerful participant in an at-times extremely stressful volcano monitoring environment. His data interpretation management skills and cheerful personality were tremendous assets to the seismic network operation team. I expected he would do a great job at IRIS, but in truth was blown away by his legendary performance as data distribution director.
Rick touched many lives. He always made it feel personal and positive. I doubt there can be many who will be remembered and regarded as well by so many as he.
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published a tribute .
I started working at the IRIS DMC in 2019 and as a new hire he made me feel instantly welcome. I loved his jokes and playful banter - which you could always count on him for at meetings and around the office. I remember his bright smile well. Whenever he gave presentations, the first slide in his PowerPoint slide deck was always meant as a joke and guaranteed to make me laugh. He would get to the office before me and when he would leave to ride his bike home, he would tell me to stop working and play outside!! What a bright soul.
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published a tribute .
Rick and I shared an apartment (along with Randy Metz) for a couple of years in the early-to-mid-1980's. We then became colleagues for several years at the UW eismology lab (now known as the PNSN).
As all his friends have noted, he was a kind and generous person with an infectious enthusiasm for life.
He took me on a short but memorable backpack into the the Enchantment Wilderness.
After he left the PNSN our paths crossed only occasionally.
I never had the pleasure of meeting Diane and Hannah,
but I want to extend my deepest condolences for their
profound loss.
published a comment .
I was hired as research aide at the PNSN in 1993. Rick was the data analyst and jack of all seismological needs. I had little seismological knowledge and the lowest status of anyone in the PNSN. Rick was always welcoming, upbeat, and willing to spend the time not just to answer my questions but to provide the background needed to more fully understand the question I was asking. Rick and Tony Qamar generous and available whenever I needed help. Rick spent hours helping me sort through and pick wave arrivals on seismograms to train me to act as a duty seismologist. I will never forget his generosity, humor and spirit. I am so sorry for your loss Diane and Hannah.
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published a tribute .
Summit of Mt. Baker, July 29, 2013. David Steiner, Rick Benson, Kyle Creager, Ken Creager.
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published a tribute .
Rick has done more nice things for me than anyone outside my immediate family.
During the summer of 1993, Rick rebuilt our kitchen. We (90% Rick, 10% me) removed the dropped ceiling that had florescent lights and rebuilt the ceiling at a standard height, removed old cabinets, and installed new lighting. He did an outstanding job with all the new drywall, very much a jack of all trades, and was very patient with me! He allowed me to buy some new tools he needed, but refused any type of payment.
Years later he was doing a bike race in Bend, Oregon. Coincidentally, we were staying at a VRBO in Bend and he used the garage as a place to work on his bike and a place to sleep during this multiday race. When he left, he left money behind for rent. This double standard was not to be accepted, so after multiple attempts to return the money, I stuffed it in an unmarked envelope and put it in his desk.
Rick led me up Mount Baker on three occasions, all dates near his birthday. Rick was a great leader, making sure we all knew how to self-arrest and how to climb out of a crevasse. For each trip, we had near-perfect weather and great memories of standing on top of the world. The last one included my son, Kyle.
Rick built and maintained a beautiful log cabin near Mt. Baker. I stayed there with Rick on a few occasions and without him on others. I truly appreciated his generosity in sharing his pride and joy.
Over the years we did many things together, regular runs during lunchtime, some lunch bike rides, many squash matches (with an unfair advantage of Rick having very long arms). One work day we got up early, ate pancakes, ran up to the top of Mount Si, showered and returned to work by 10:00 AM.
Rick always made me feel good, trough subtle phrases, smiles, and jokes. I was especially aware of this during multiple pre-COVID bike-to-beer events. No matter what he was talking about, or whether it was one-on-one or in a bigger group, he had a way of bringing attention to positive aspects of who he was talking to.
Here is an example email from the early 1990s about a trivial data issue: “I feel lower than a snakes' belly about … all is well in farmland once again. Your abilities have ascended to a new level, possibly guru, from wizard.”
During the days after I learned of his passing, I found myself constantly thinking about Rick, especially during a couple of hikes at St. Edwards Park and Discovery Park where being emersed in the forest brought back a flood of memories of great times with Rick enjoying nature. I miss Rick deeply.
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published a tribute .
I first met Rick when I started as a grad student at the UW in 1988. In addition to being a super nice person and an incredible athlete, Rick was also a talented programmer and an excellent locator of earthquakes -- he taught me everything I know about picking earthquakes, and more than anyone else, he is responsible for the high quality of the PNSN catalog from the mid-1980s thru the mid-1990s.
While I was a graduate student Rick took me on the initial recon trip for a new station to be installed somewhere in the town of Liberty, Washington (now called LTY). The trip included poking our noses in several old mines, and at night we stayed with his father in his RV. I was the poorer for it, since it turned out that both Rick and his father were really good at poker.
After I started working for the USGS at the Cascades Volcano Observatory, I communicated a lot with Rick during the 2004 eruption at Mount St. Helens. When CVO installed new seismic stations in response to the eruption, we began sending our real-time seismic data to IRIS for the first time. We adopted "CV" as our network code without checking with anyone, which I learned was a sub-optimal approach when Rick called one day and very gently let me know that our data was causing problems at IRIS because the CV network code had already been taken by a temporary deployment in Cape Verde. We batted around a few possibilities & settled upon Rick's suggestion of "CC = Cascades Chain" - not perfect, but workable. CC is the network code we continue to use at CVO today for our now 60+-network of seismic stations.
I will miss Rick and his infectious smile and can-do attitude. His wife, daughter, and family are in my thoughts.
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published a tribute .
I remember working the earthquake that occurred during 1989 World Series baseball game in San Francisco with Rick. He represented UW seismic group while I worked for the USGS at the UW seismic lab.
We both worked the evening shift together locating the aftershocks.
Sometimes we worked in late afternoon, I got dinner while he would take a run and then go back to work. This is when he began eating candy no stop. He said it was the only thing that made him feel better. It was after returning back to Seattle that he learned that he was Type 1 Diabetic. He was an amazing person to work with in Menlo Park. I marveled at the dedication that he showed during this time when he was not sleeping much and eating tons of candy.
He is truly missed by all that knew him. Condolences to his wife and family.
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published a tribute .
I just found out this week about Rick's passing. I am devastated. I first met Rick in high school chemistry in Fair Oaks, Ca. When we graduated, we both left Fair Oaks and went off to the University of Washington in Seattle in the fall of 1978. Rick was very disciplined and focused in his studies while simultaneously working to make ends meet. It was impressive. He was also a night janitor at an old Methodist church in the U District for awhile, where he was well respected by the congregation. We reconnected on Facebook about 7 years ago and one could see how happy he was with his loving family and how proud he was of his daughter. Rick was a smart, earnest, and hard working person that I always admired and respected. I will miss him greatly.
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published a tribute .
Thank you for all the stories and talks. I will never forget the happy, proud and sad face when Hannah was moving away for college.
You loved Starbucks as much as I did.
You will be very ver very missed.
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published a tribute .
We were so lucky to get to see Rick at least a few times a year! He was one the friendliest guys I've known. Always positive and looked at his life like a blessing every day. Even when he had a broken wrist or injury from biking he was still so excited about life! He was truly an inspiring person and I feel honored to have known such a kind man.
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published a tribute .
We are honored to have known Rick. We met him at the beginning of 2021, when our project, the NSF Cyberinfrastructure Center of Excellence (CI Compass) started collaborating with SAGE and GAGE on their Common Cloud Platform (CCP) project. Rick was one of the CCP project leads.
We never had a chance to meet Rick in person, but we saw him on ZOOM once or sometimes twice a week. We quickly learned what a good colleague Rick was; always humble, engaging with everyone around him, driving us in the right direction while we were trying to deliver value to his area of responsibility in CCP.
Rick had a great influence on us all. One life can make a positive difference in the world, and Rick's life on Earth has been a beacon of light for those who got to know him. His sense of humor, patience, and kind heart made our collaboration very easy and helped us all in the difficult times of remote work during stressful COVID times. We will never forget Rick. His legacy will live on.
His friends at CI Compass
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published a tribute .
Rick, was a great person, good friend, excellent professional, I see just today this very very sad news, my sincere condolences to his family.
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published a tribute .
Dear family of Rick: I did not know Rick, sadly. Reading his bio and beautiful life & obituary, I sure wish we did. We cannot imagine the loss, in the service of others. Thinking of you and your memories. So sorry for your void. Hoping and praying a higher power will follow you forever, giving peace, hope, love…and forever memories. Thinking of you. From a Glacier Springs neighbor, the Whitehead Family’ on Miller Way
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published a tribute .
It is with a heavy heart that I learned about the untimely death of my old friend Rick. Like so many of his friends posting here, I too was a beneficiary of Rick's grace, humor , intellect and kindness. Our paths crossed professionally while working at IRIS/PASSCAL dating back 30 years. More than anything, I always looked forward to talking about bikes and cycle racing. The World is going to miss Rick Benson. I extend my deepest sympathy to his family.
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published a tribute .
Rick was a phenomenal friend, science professional, and community member for seismology, and such a wonderful person overall. As a researcher, I would consult with him whenever I had a question about the Data Management System and he would unfailingly answer it, typically within hours. He knew the "engine room" of IRIS Data Services so well, not surprisingly since he was central to its development and implementation during such a transformative period of seismological science. Of course, many of us also knew him as a phenomenal athlete, and I was fortunate to have had the joy of riding RAGBRAI in Iowa one year where we shared the experience. What an inspiring person.
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published a tribute .
From everybody here in SEIS-UK, we are absolutely devastated to hear the news.
Rick was an amazing guy. I only managed to meet him once in real life, but I’d known him for 13 years. He was such a huge supporter of SEIS-UK and I don’t think there was ever a problem he couldn’t fix or a question he couldn’t answer. I have learnt so much from Rick over the years and he is genuinely one of the nicest people I’ve ever worked with.
It’s taken me a while to write this because it’s just impossible to find the words. In one of the last emails Rick ever sent me, he said “you are the best of the best when it comes to data management. That’s all I can say, and that’s all I DO say”. Well, right back at you Rick. You were the best of the best. Thank you for everything, I will miss you.
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published a tribute .
I met Rick thru mountain biking and although I did not know him well I quickly came to realize that he was a super nice guy. Rick was super friendly and brought a lot to our riding group - I always looked forward to the days when we would ride together. Rick liked the thrill of descending a challenging trail but he also loved the work involved in climbing to get to the top. He found joy in all of it. I consider myself fortunate to have known Rick.
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published a tribute .
Rick was the sort of person that you are lucky to meet once in a lifetime. My luck began when Rick joined the UW seismic processing group as an analyst during the monitoring of Mt. St. Helens nearly 40 years ago, when I was geophysics graduate student. Rick could raise the spirits of the group whenever the picking of seismograms became tedious, and he found a positive way to approach every problem. He was always willing to tackle any task and provide all the help that anyone needed. After he joined IRIS and took on more and more responsibility, he never lost that wonderful spark and innate desire to help others. When I joined IRIS years later, Rick made it seem like I had never been away.
Outdoor activities were always an adventure with Rick, and we developed a bit of friendly competition in those early years, which gave us stories to banter back and forth whenever our paths crossed. I once was naïve enough to join Rick on the beginning of a bike tour he was taking from Seattle to California. Rick did slow down now and then so that I could at least keep him in sight, and being the person that he was, he then took care of everything at our campsite, including pedaling off to get us a few beers, while I tried to recover by the campfire. I have enjoyed working, interacting, and sharing stories with Rick ever since, and it’s hard to imagine a world without Rick in it.
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published a tribute .
Rick was one of the best friends I ever had. I met Rick when interviewing for systems administrator position at the IRIS DMC. I worked there for 17 years and forged a strong friendship with Rick at that time, which continued after I retired. He was a skilled builder and helped me build a shop and the pictured house in the Aeneas Valley Washington.
Rick was a shining example of how we should live our lives, willing to help others with a constant smile on your face. I have a hard time recalling a time when he wasn’t cheerful and ready with a funny quip. He recently wrote and said after his meeting we needed to have a “jib jab”…classic Rick!
One of many things I recall was once during a hot ping pong game in the IRIS conference room, a fellow employee got “nudged” into the wall by Rick which broke the sheetrock. Within a day or so, Rick had the wall expertly patched and painted where no one would ever be the wiser. Did I mention he was a skilled builder?
I cannot express just how much he affected my life and how very much I will miss him. He was a true gentleman with a very kind soul. The engine room will never be the same. Godspeed my friend!
published a comment .
I hope it’s OK if I submit a second tribute to this service because I keep thinking about the loss of Rick and continue to feel empathy for his family…. and many friends. Rick’s incredible friendliness, kindness, helpfulness and generosity are well appreciated by all. Of these his generosity stands out for me as truly unique. The following is a story I have told to many that illustrates to just what extent his generosity could go.
In the 1990s I mentioned to Rick that I was about to remodel our kitchen. He asked what I was doing, and after my obviously inexpert descriptions of changes to be made, he suggested he come over and “consult”. Soon he was helping me do bits and pieces. Then I was helping him do more complicated things. Then he was just doing the hard stuff while kindly making sure I didn’t mess things up. Early on I had made him agree that I would pay him a fair wage for the time he put in. He grudgingly agreed after much resistance. I kept track of his actual working hours and when we finished got ready to pay him. I asked him how many hours had he put in. He said 20 - 25. I had records of over 100 hours. We argued back and forth and he refused to take the check for the proper pay saying much of the time was just having fun working together (even though lots of the work he did by himself). I had not even accounted for much of the time that could be considered fun. We then went behind his back and got the check to his wife. He was quite upset about that. So upset that he somehow found out what color we wanted our house painted and then painted the whole thing while we were away for two weeks on vacation. He was willing to take payment only for the cost of the paint. At this point I called “uncle”, realizing that I was up against a generosity way out of any thing I was familiar with and it would only be frustrating to try and escalate the generosity.
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published a tribute .
I was fortunate to meet and interact with Rick as a grad student at UW and later as a colleague at IRIS. I remember him congratulating me when I came to work for IRIS (in New Mexico) but he told me that I'd need to work on coming back to Seattle because that was home. As others have noted, Rick was always the most friendly and helpful guy around. I can attest that he was that way when I met him as a student and also when I worked with him as a fellow employee. I didn't know Rick's family, but I felt like I knew his daughter Hannah just by listening to the way Rick spoke of her. I remember when he went out to NYC to help move her into her college dorm and how happy he was for her. I'm sure Rick's absence will leave a huge hole in many people's lives--most especially those of his family. I hope that their happy memories of Rick, along with those shared by friends and colleagues, will bring them peace and comfort. I'll miss you Rick; thanks for always being a friend.
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published a tribute .
I met Rick long back in 2004 when I was working for PASSCAL, and became one of the most treasured friendships I had in the IRIS community. As a new staff back then I always look up to him, for his charismatic, joyful, professional still approachable persona. He always had a joke or a good smile to light up any situation and make everyone and anyone feel welcome and valuable. That's how I felt around Rick, I felt like he believed in me and what I could and have to offer, he could be carrying a world of responsibilities and work but he always found a way to connect at the human level. To me, he was an inspiration in every possible way, even before I became a parent, I remember thinking I want to be like him when I become a parent. His adoration for his daughter will always come up full of pride and love towards his sweet Hannah and Family, and I always thought of it as such a wonderful gift to be connected in such a way to your child and feel and radiate that joy when talking about the family.
At the professional level, his generosity always went the extra mile (literally) to help others. When I moved to WA, Rick and Tim were the first ones to welcome me and explore options that could work. I enjoyed each time we met for a good coffee and got to see his happy smile around his team. He was my boss but also a dear dear friend who add to his biking route passing by my house just to bring me a laptop so I could work while I was just adjusting to my new life in WA with a little 2-year-old. He brought so much joy and motivation to me, he was a dear friend that always took the time to make people feel supported and appreciated.
I always think you will always remember how people make you feel and what impact they have on you, and to me, he was one of the most caring, giving, joyful, kind human beings I have been around. His friendship will be always close to my heart. I truly believe all who knew him cherish the times we got to be around such positive and generous human being. My heart is with his family and I hope they find comfort in knowing how much love and admiration many of us have for him. You left us too soon dear friend.
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published a tribute .
Seismology is a worldwide community brought together through shared data/codes/training to solve planetary problems. Rick Benson's generosity, enthusiasm, and boundless energy were critical in shaping and growing this global community - we are his grateful legacy.
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published a tribute .
Through my work at the Berkeley Seismo Lab and the NCEDC, my interactions with Rick over many years ranged from work-related issues concerning data and data center management issues to bicycling, hiking, scuba diving, and early life in Sacramento. Rick was always upbeat, cheerful, extremely helpful, and brought a smile to any scene. I feel deeply for his family to have lost a partner and father so early and so suddenly. Rick will surely be missed by all that he touched.
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published a tribute .
IRIS was my first real programming job outside of school. One of the people that made it a pleasure to a part of the IRIS DMC was Rick. He was almost always upbeat and excited to be working at IRIS. He was always a helpful and positive presence. To this day I take example from him when I think about what it means to love what you do. Those lessons I gleaned from his personality stick with me today and will always influence the way I am.
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published a tribute .
In 1987, I began doing consulting work for IRIS. I needed a reliable Internet connection and Steve Malone, the Director of the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network was kind enough to let me become a squatter in an unused office in the Geophysics building. No windows but an incredible amenity was that Rick Benson occupied the office next to me. I have known that incredible person for almost 35 years. He aptly called the part of the building we were in “The Dungeon”. IRIS was at its beginning. Rick saw an opportunity to use his seismological talents when IRIS put out a Request for Proposals to house the permanent Data Management Center. He convinced Steve Malone and Ken Creager to submit a proposal. Up against strong competition, the proposal turned out to be the winning one and so the IRIS DMC moved from Austin, Texas to the U-Dub in 1991. I think the lattes that Rick made for the site selection committee played a key role in why the DMC wound up in Seattle. Rick was the person that found the first home of the DMC in Seattle in the U-Disrict where I had the pleasure of many early morning coffee walks with Rick.
Rick first worked as a Data Quality Specialist still working for Steve but spending much time looking at the data that IRIS was starting to generate, the first bits and bytes from the Global Seismic Network. Rick began employment with IRIS in November of 1993 and immediately began making the DMC a better place for fellow employees and the world-wide community of seismologists. He became the friendly and helpful face of the IRIS DMC and was known by literally thousands of seismologists around the world and liked by everyone he met. His friendly smile, helpful ways, and computer and seismological expertise made him a key player in training courses we conducted all over the world. Rick taught training courses on 6 of the 7 world’s continents and left an impact everywhere he traveled. Rick became the leader of the DMC operations team, or as he called it the engine room, early in his tenure with IRIS and served as the Deputy Director of Operations. In keeping with his ship analogy, he called my office the Poop Deck. Rick had the best sense of humor.
Rick and I often traveled together. He loved stuffing as much glucose-rich candy and nibbles from the United Frequent Flyer Club into a baggie as we boarded long flights. Rick was always working and moving, even on these long flights. Always full of energy, he always ventured out to investigate new surroundings wherever he was. I won’t go into the details of Rick’s friendliness that resulted in being mugged in broad daylight in Bogota.
Rick was one of my best friends for three decades. He did so much for everyone, always with that smile on his face. We continued seeing each other every few weeks (over coffee of course) even after I retired in 2019. Knowing I will not be able to ever do this again weighs heavily on me. I cannot imagine the sadness his family is experiencing. A bright light in the world has gone out but Rick’s accomplishments and impact on the seismological world and so many lives will not be forgotten. Miss you my friend!!!
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published a tribute .
When I first became familiar with IRIS, I didn't fully grasp the entirety of what it did, but I did recognize that Rick was a huge part of its success and value to earthquake scientists. As I got to know Rick as a colleague over the last 11 years, I appreciated his easy-going, constructive, effortlessly funny approach to working at IRIS and in particular helping the Instrumentation Services team stay synced with our Data Services colleagues. The last email he wrote to me a few weeks ago on a future meeting is both professional and littered with jokes/quips/turns of phrase. I will miss those little touches that served as a reminder that we were working with great colleague and an even better person.
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published a tribute .
It is so hard to write this as it isn’t time. However, it will help me process this unwelcome change.
During my 14 years with IRIS, I was fortunate to get to work with Rick and, better, get to be friends with Rick. I was in the DC office and Rick in Seattle, but still we had a warm relationship. I was able to look in on Rick whenever I visited Seattle, usually to have a coffee or lunch with Rick and, often, his great friend and boss, Tim. And I was glad to be able to return the favor when Rick finally visited IRIS Headquarters for the first time ever in 2016, I believe. Rick always lightened my mood and made me laugh with his quirky but effective humor.
I worked most closely with Rick when he chaired the IRIS Benefits Committee (BeCalm in Rick’s vernacular). Rick was the first chair of the Benefits Committee and served in that capacity from 2009 to 2016. The Benefits Committee reviewed IRIS’ fringe benefits, served as a liaison with IRIS staff, and assisted management in explaining changes to benefits policy. Rick led the Committee during the challenging time that we chose to change human resources support from Administaff/Insperity to ADP and the associated change to health benefit providers. He also led the Committee when we reduced retirement benefits to be able to pay for the increasing costs of health care. These were, indeed, difficult, but necessary, changes to make and Rick and the Committee provided invaluable assistance and guidance throughout the process. Rick and the Committee were our reality touchstone as we sought to make these changes with the support of IRIS staff.
I know how proud Rick was of his daughter’s accomplishments and how much he worshiped his wife.
With the rest of the global current and former IRIS community, I am stunned by this tragic loss and offer sincere condolences to his family. Godspeed, Rick.
Rob Woolley
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published a tribute .
The first time I met Rick was the day I came to DMC for an interview. He greeted me as if he knew me for years and made me feel right at home. It didn’t take long to discover that this is his true personality and it was guaranteed that he would make you smile every chance he could!
As an early riser, the chances were that if you came to the office, you would find lights on and Rick’s bike or scooter there. You would then know that it would be a good start for the day since you could have a coffee chat with Rick.
A few months before we left the office, because of COVID, he encouraged me to start riding a scooter to work. He lent me his scooter for a week to try and we had daily chats about my experiences. He was correct, riding the scooter to work was fun.
Rick will be missed and talked about for years to come by everyone who was fortunate enough to know him. My deepest sympathies go out to his family.
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published a tribute .
I knew Rick as a neighbor in Glacier Springs and he was the friendliest neighbor and always so helpful to lend a hand. He was such an integral part to this community. It's hard to imagine him not being here. I'm so sorry for his passing and my thoughts are with his friends and family.
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published a tribute .
Rick always made you feel welcome when you saw him. His energy was just so positive, young, and genuine, and it made you feel good just talking with him. I never saw him without a smile on his face; I don't think that was possible. I looked up to him without really realizing it or why. And now I just can't imagine the world without him. Fair winds and rubber side down, my friend.
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published a tribute .
I didn't have the opportunity to work directly with Rick but I did have the pleasure of attending an extended leadership training with him. It was a great chance to get to know him better as the workshop met for several days at a time over the course of a year or so. I count myself lucky for having had the opportunity to have spent that time with him. His humor and wit ensured sure the course was enjoyable. The course also allowed me to see how deeply he cared for and respected the staff that reported to him directly. His expertise, enthusiasm, and compassion will certainly be missed here at IRIS, and across the seismology community.
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published a tribute .
What a horrible shocker this news was.
I hired Rick in 1982 or 83 as a “pinger” (seismic analyst) for the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network. He was super fast while being surprisingly accurate at timing seismic phase using the old tek-tubes. But even greater talents were evident with his field work efforts. One of several remote sites he helped with was the highest (for a long time) station on Mount Rainier (Camp Schurman). During this trip he inspired, with his friendly and patient instructions and example, my teenaged daughter who accompanied us to install the station.
Rick used to laugh at my clunky commuter bike, and when it broke he gave me a slightly better one that he continued to rib me about. I finally broke down and got a real road bike for recreation, and what fun! Rick took me on many different and interesting rides. However, he was so far out of my class that the only chance I had to keep up was to grab his wheel and hang on for dear life. As we would approach a climb I would gasp out a question hoping it would keep him talking while I wheezed along behind.
After several years I knew he was not being challenged enough by working for me. While I was tempted to give him lousy references to keep him, there was nothing negative I could think of that anyone would believe. Of course, his contributions to IRIS are well known. While our friedship continued, much to my chagrin I did not ride much with Rick over the past couple of decades. He stayed strong and fast while I got even slower. Yet, when he did come out for a “Bike to Beer” ride it felt as though our friendship had not missed a beat.
I used to think I was a special friend of Rick’s, and then I realized that he made almost everyone feel as though they were special friends. It is a rare person who can so brighten the lives around him just by such a positive, humorous, friendly and generous outlook. Our world is a little dimmer without him. I am particularly sad for his family.
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published a tribute .
Rick was a tsunami of energy that was simultaneously positive, unforgettably kind and hilarious. I was lucky to see him daily for 6 years, but I always felt a bit unlucky that I got there when I did and missed out on the "old days" in the office when they played full contact darts. As I understand it, it involved retrieving fallen darts by any means necessary and getting to use it on your next turn. I can't remember who the pushee was, but I believe Rick helped patch up the hole in the wall, because that was Rick.
Since my office was next to the kitchen, I would hear him nuking his frozen broccoli every day. I'd use the sound of the broccoli tingling in the bowl as it was getting poured out as a queue to ask him a biking or training question when I had one. He was my biggest cheerleader and helped motivate me to get into triathlon at a time that I was just into running and swimming. He kept inviting me out on rides and I once made the mistake of joining him on one if his lunchtime "slow recovery" rides. I told him to drop me as, of course, I couldn't keep up. I still love biking and think of him often when I ride.
Rick was one of the most charismatic and unforgettable people I've ever known. The world would be a better place if we all could have just a fraction of his selfless helpful spirit. My deepest sympathies go out to his family.
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published a tribute .
On behalf of the members of the Geoscope Observatory and the IPGP Data Center : we cannot count the number of positive interactions we have had with Rick on all types of questions touching seismological data. Throughout the many years of close collaboration between IRIS-DMC and Geoscope, he has always been very friendly with us, ready to help and to move forward so that data become available for the scientific community at IRIS-DMC, and in the best possible way. We are all shocked by the news of his passing, and we extend our condolences to Rick's family and friends.
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published a tribute .
Rick was my neighbor. Still is I suppose, because his mark on our little block in Seattle and our alley is still here. Everyone who has known Rick would guess that his slice of earth in the city was always tended to and he was always out tending to it, or organizing a boat out back, or setting up a trailer, or zooming down the alley on his bike to head out for a ride. (sometimes even on a razor scooter...). Rick was kind, trustworthy, cheerful. I will miss our 20 second chats about the Huskies. Just a few weeks, he pet my dog as we passed by and we traded excited stories of a forthcoming Spring and how the daffodils were already showing. Our neighborhood is heartbroken. We'll do our part to wrap our collective souls around Diane as best we can. We'll do our best to carry Rick's immense light forward. Goodspeed alley Friend.
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published a tribute .
It's been quite some years since I met Rick the last time. Unfortunately we never had a chance to interact more deeply, but even those occasional run-ins somewhere sometime left a deep and lasting impression and memory of a tremendously kind, friendly and positive person, who's greatest joy seemed to be being able to help.
How the world needs more of those, and how much the world will miss him.
My sincere condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.
Florian
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Since I was hired at IRIS I have been blown away by Rick Benson's work anniversary every time it was shared in our staff-wide emails. Annually, I would take a minute to pause and reflect on what it would be like to dedicate that many years of service to the seismic community. As I worked more and more with Rick and his team members at the Data Management Center, it became clear to me that Rick's impact went far beyond an impressive commitment in time. The can-do example he set and the support he gave to others is admirable. His encouragement through even brief emails helped me gain confidence and his ready humor diffused many a tense or tedious moment in meetings. I will miss his presence enormously and will do my utmost to bring as much of that spirit forward. My heart goes out to his family, friends, and team at the DMC.
And just adding a link to these testimonials from Rick's 20 year work anniversary: https://ds.iris.edu/ds/newsletter/vol16/no1/387/rick-benson-celebrating-20-years-at-the-iris-dmc/
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published a tribute .
Whenever I had the opportunity to visit the DMC, the first thing I’d do was to drop my stuff in the conference room and go see Rick. Rick was always a ‘move the ball forward’ kind of guy, someone who would help you solve a problem, look at new and better ways to improve, not get stuck in how things had been done before.
I got to know Rick quite a bit better at a leadership course we took with two other IRIS colleagues. Rick was the kind of person that made an impression on me “I want to live my life more like that guy, be a better person like him”. I always thought it was a little crazy to haul a bike all over (almost all who knew him knew he was a monster bicyclist), but that was part of who he was, and was just one example of how he dedicated himself to excellence in his pursuits. I will miss you Rick. I hope you’re enjoying downhills and tailwinds!
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published a tribute .
I still can’t believe he’s gone! My sincere condolences to his family and I can’t image the grief you all must be suffering. As a part of Rick’s HUGE extended global family, I feel so fortunate to have had the chance to work/kid/ride/smile with him for the past 30 years. He had such a positive outlook and energy to spare and share with everyone he met. I doubt there’s a soul out there who didn’t walk away from any encounter with Rick feeling like they’ve just made a life-long friend.
Too many stories to share in a brief posting - many of these will require a beer in hand and a good cry with others who have stories to share as well. I only hope that I could live out my life with half the positivity that Rick shared with me. He made me a better person - perhaps not a better tractor driver (rubber side goes down, dude!), but more human. The world would be a better place if we led by his example.
You’ll be missed buddy. Save me a seat at the kid’s table.
Kent
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published a tribute .
I met Rick in 1985 when I moved to Seattle to go to Grad school at the Geophysics Dept. He was probably the first person I really got to know in Seattle. Super positive and helpful way back then and a later on a big reason that I ended up working at IRIS. He always made me feel appreciated. That was one of his gifts. He once told me that biking was meditation that allowed him process the problems of life and to leave them all behind. This week I’ve been feeling sick with grief. Today I got on the bike and went out for a long ride though the woods. I thought about you and afterwards I felt a little bit better. Thanks for your your kindness, generosity and most of all your friendship.
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published a tribute .
On Sunday I watched one of the most beautiful sunsets I'd seen as the fiery pink clouds engulfed us, the sky and and lake both equally alit by the passing sun. The kind of sunset that leaves you amazed at the beauty around you.
When I learned that Rick passed away on Sunday, suddenly that sunset made perfect sense.
In a lineup of good people, Rick stood out from the rest. He was the sunshine of the office, always projecting positivity even when things weren't easy. I looked forward to when he and his bike rolled in and he'd make his rounds to say hi to anyone who was in - always there with a smile and a compliment to hand out. I could count on him to make my day a little better, and you could count on a laugh anytime we was in the room with you. He made you feel like you belonged, like you were an old friend.
We all know that Rick is nearly synonymous with the IRIS Data Services. He was clearly a critical role in the success of the archive, but it was far more than that. He was critical to the success of the people around him as well. He was thoughtful of us at work, ensuring a transparency that allowed us to feel respected as employees even through more difficult transitions. If I had any question about data or the DMC, I knew he'd have an answer. And of course it would come with some sort of pun or joke.
And it wasn't just in the office. There were so many times he offhandedly mentioned helping this person or that. It wasn't a big deal to him - of course he was out there giving a lending hand.
He was truly a special one.
If we could all just be a little more like Rick.
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published a tribute .
When I joined IRIS DMC in 2001 I inherited Rick’s office in the northwest corner, and for 18 years I looked at the walls, the beautiful paint, the nice curtains -especially the curtain rod, which appeared to be made from a straight branch from some tree, likely from his property.
Rick was always improving, not just himself but his immediate surroundings, and also the lives of the people that touched upon him. I never saw him angry, I never saw him spiteful, only humor and inspiration did I ever see from him.
I too have swept a tear from my eye many times this past week, as I think back on how we smiled and teased each other in passing for so many years - he asked me , for example, why I wasn’t riding my bike (as I gained weight), and eventually I said to him I did not want to “endanger the baby”, and he got such a laugh out of that…!
But more importantly he gave of himself to anyone and everyone who needed help, even if they didn’t have to ask for it, he was just the most magnetic, inspirational person.
Bless him, whatever that may mean, for his gifts and hard work. My thoughts are with his family.
R. Welti
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published a tribute .
All this week, it is small things that bring me to a stop and tears to my eyes. Coming into the office every morning (back in those days), especially those cold wet mornings, there would be a, freshly made pot of hot coffee just waiting for anyone to have a cup. As I hung my bike up next to Rick's, I knew if I was fast, I could get the first cup before Rick! Early on, he taught me, just in case, how to make coffee Rick-style - that is make sure you get as many ground beans in the machine as it will hold!. I always appreciated that small sense of well being to start the day! Rick was always around to answer questions about work, or talk about most anything. I will miss him greatly and my heart goes out to his family and friends.
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published a tribute .
The news of Rick's death was devastating to me as the world couldn't have lost a more kind and generous person. I've known Rick for over 30 years of my career, from back when he started at PNSN, and I cannot recall a time when he wasn't smiling when interacting with someone. Rick was an invaluable colleague and will be sadly missed. I am so sorry for the loss to his family and closer friends and send my positive thoughts to them during this difficult time.
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published a tribute .
This breaks my heart and brings tears to my eyes. I haven’t interacted with Rick recently, but I have emailed and talked in person with him countless times over the years. When I think of Rick, I think of a warm, kind, generous person, always willing to help. I can’t express how wonderful it was to know that if I encountered any kind of problem related to IRIS data, Rick was always able to come to the rescue. I am so sorry for the loss to his family and friends and to the seismology community.
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published a tribute .
Rick was an exceptional mentor, scientist, and friend. He encouraged everyone around him to do their best in their various pursuits towards self-actualization. Rick would always encourage us to succeed in both our work and personal lives, and would provide us with tools and opportunities to make our individual and collective dreams become realities. I feel fortunate to have had Rick's influence in my life, and will miss him greatly. My deepest sympathies go to Rick's family and friends.
Sincerely,
Tim Ronan
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published a tribute .
We at the International Seismological Centre (ISC) are deeply saddened by the loss of Rick Benson. He was an integral part of IRIS-ISC working relationship for years! Such an easy going and kind man we have lost ...
Dmitry Storchak
ISC
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published a tribute .
Rick's enthusiasm and optimism was infectious. In every mental image I have of him, he's smiling away. And though I haven't seen him since leaving IRIS a long time ago, this news still hits home. You'll be missed!
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published a tribute .
Rick was one of those people who was always there to help, always made time for you, always made you feel valued. He and I both joined IRIS at about the same time and so I now realize we really did both grow up in this field together. Even though I only saw him at meetings once a year or so, catching up with him was always a highlight of our meetings. I'm really at a loss for words and my deepest sympathies go out to his family. May his memory be a blessing for his family and all of us.
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published a tribute .
Never in my life have I come across a person as upbeat, kind, generous, and thoughtful as Rick was. I'm still in shock as I try to process the reality that Rick is no longer with us...his loss is unimaginable and unbelievable, and is felt by multitudes. My heart goes out to his family.
Rick, may you ever have a tailwind...and failing that, buddy, you've got my wheel.
Carl
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published a tribute .
When I first arrived at the Socorro PASSCAL Instrument Center in July 1998 as a new software engineer, the PASSCAL leadership announced that they had a “different” job for me. The unofficial description was to "make Rick Benson’s job easier”. “Rick’s a great guy”, they said. “No one has ever said anything bad about him. You’ll like him.” (Later that job grew to encompass an entire data group, but it had inauspicious beginnings.)
After working closely with Rick for almost 7 years, I had the joy of working under him directly for several years as part of the DMC staff. When I look back on my emails from that time, there is no mistaking how contagious his warmth, humor and humanity were. I like the person they made me. I hope that I can continue to radiate Rick’s light. Rick, I’ll miss you terribly.
Seizure down the road,
Marty
(aka maryt - Rick always mistyped this, so he aliased me as marty)
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published a comment .
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