Dr Herman Stone and Gary Thompson |

Today is a day I get to honor (at least) two folks. One to whom I only spoke and the other that was a best friend and companion until I lost him. No, he didn’t die physically. He erased his mind (at least to have normal conversations) as a result of his drug use.

First, Dr. Herman Stone (nee Hermann Steinberg). His family managed to escape the grasp of Hitler and arrived in America in 1939. His undergraduate degree was earned at Bethany College (West Virginia). But, his big mistake- he earned his PhD in Chemistry from Oh-ho-ho. (You know the nemesis of the University of Michigan. Moreover, he was one of their avid fans.) Dr. Stone died a month ago at the age of 98.

Stone, like me, loved to pore over technical journals, history, and SciFi. His family noted that you never saw him without having something to read.

Among his 24 patents, Dr Stone created what we now call polyurethane foam. (His direct application was to make all those comfortable car seats. And, was an expert of the flammability issues of the product.)

My good buddy, Gary Thompson, the most educated non-college graduate I ever met (who had earned more than 200 credits- but never in the same curriculum, because he wanted to learn about everything).

A Nashville native (and scion to the family controlling one of the larger dairy farms in Tennessee), Gary lived in a unique “house”. It actually was a combination saloon and grocery store. OK, that’s not why he chose his abode. It was the hiding place for the James Gang, most of whom escaped the day after one of the gang was arrested back in 1881.

Over time, Gary migrated to Charlottesville, VA, where his significant other ran the radiation department. Gary had determined that polyurethane foam was the best insulation material for homes and businesses- and could even be used to erect roofs on buildings.

That’s why I knew Dr. Herman Stone.. We consulted with him to ensure that the polyurethane foam systems we were considering would be ideal. (Note: Gary designed all the foam producing equipment himself. Saving tons of bucks- and making sure he could fix any field production issue in a heartbeat.)

And, since was creative, Gary “made” his home outside of Charlottesville (town of Batesville) using polyurethane foam, too. But the home was a dome, with a central orifice to allow his full -sized palm tree to tower over the structure. (Sorry that I could not find my photos of the abode!)

And, the name of his firm??? Polyurethane Foam Fabricators. Ok, that’s the long version. PUFF was the true moniker, and a dragon was its icon. (Yes, of course, the theme song was Puff, the Magic Dragon….)

With time, Gary and I spec’d out how to make a slew of fruit storage facilities, using polyurethane foam to seal the structure, which allowed us to pump in (and store) carbon dioxide. By using the CO2 atmosphere, we could extend the “life” of an apple to nearly 250 days. Perfect for the farmers, who could now sell “fresh” apples all year round.

Gary’s habit expanded from alcohol to marijuana to cocaine to heroin. The last two drugs of choice were introduced into his life by his girlfriend, Emily Remler. (No, not the one that was his significant other, she had already left and moved to the Raleigh Durham area with their little girl.)

Emily was at the time considered the finest jazz guitarist (certainly the finest female guitarist), and we all had great times together. Until she succumbed to an overdose. And, that was when Gary’s barely restrained drug usage was obliterated. It became rare to find Gary unimpeded by drugs and eventually, normal conversations were impossible.