In Memoriam: Keith Axelson – your comments welcome

Our original Sanderling logo.

Lu Plauzoles writes: I think we should remember that he was birding at Malibu Lagoon on the regular SM Bay Audubon walk on August 27th, just 2 weeks before his passing. I was leading, since Chuck Almdale was out of town and I was surprised to see Keith, albeit a bit diminished from his usual rambunctious self. He was staying at Mary’s, which was no exceptional event, even though we’d heard from her that he was having some “physical challenges.” He was still asking why people in the group had not come up recently to Sageland, his ranch near Onyx.

We of the SMBAS ilk will carry his clean, inspired chapter logo of the Sanderling into the future. May we all be birding our home patch 2 weeks before we fade/fly off  away!

Not Telescope Peak, possibly Butterbredt Peak. Certainly high up somewhere.

Andrew Nawrocky writes: It was nice talking with you today and reminiscing about Keith. Yes, he was unique, and in some ways influenced all of us.

He was active almost to the very end. Even at his more advanced age he showed a lot of energy and stamina. In June of 2008, Keith at age 83, climbed Telescope Peak with me. As you know, it’s the highest point within Death Valley Park at 11,049 feet of elevation. No easy task. He was very proud of that achievement, as he should have been. As if to mark that event, there was a Golden Eagle soaring above us.