A Message from Rear Admiral Shep Smith, NOAA, Ret.
April 20, 2022
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I met Rick in 1996 when he was the Officer in Charge of the Bay Hydro, and I knew right away I had stumbled onto a treasure of a man. I came up with various pretexts for needing to spend time away from the Puzzle Palace in Silver Spring, out on the Bay with Rick. Clearly, we shared a passion for hydrography and boats, and woodworking, but on long transits and routine survey work, we found ourselves reflecting just as often on the people, on training, on experiential education, and on how to rebuild the NOAA hydrographic community.
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I shared a career with Rick, sharing duty stations and common projects in New Hampshire, Norfolk, Silver Spring, Alaska, and points in between. In the slow-motion progressive dinner that is a NOAA career, Rick was the heart and soul, bringing a spark of magic to each.
Rick was focused on the people around him. He kept in touch with most people he had ever worked with closely, and knew not only what they were doing, but how they were doing. His passion for NOAA and hydrography was contagious, and he inspired and mentored a whole generation of hydrographers, including me. We shared a vision for the evolution of Coast Survey and maintained a decades-long rich and candid back channel of communication.
Those of us whom Rick inspired continue to live by his example, maintain his values, and make his vision a reality through our hands. For months after Rick passed, I would reach for my phone to call Rick whenever I had something interesting to share, or a difficult choice to make. Nearly a year later, I still think of him daily and gain strength and clarity from my memory of him. There are things I do in my personal and professional life that I know would put a gleam in Rick’s eye. I hear similar sentiments from many of you. There are things we can do individually to celebrate Rick’s legacy, but there are also things that can best be done collectively.
The goal of RTB Fair Winds Memorial Foundation is to provide scholarships for those pursuing advanced education, including, but not limited to, four-year colleges, community colleges, and trade schools. In addition, the Foundation plans to provide scholarships for camp to children who have suffered the traumatic loss of a parent or close family member.
I would like to encourage everyone to consider making a donation to the RTB Fair Winds Memorial Foundation. It’s a wonderful way of carrying on Rick’s legacy of promoting education and mentoring.
And roll up your sleeves!
Respectfully -- Shep
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To those who have donated to RTB Fair Winds, THANK YOU! Your support is very much appreciated. For those of you just learning about us, please join us in continuing Rick’s passion for education, training, and hand-on experiences. Donations are used to fund our scholarship program and each donation gets us closer to assisting our future leaders reach their goals of higher education or helping young children who are experiencing grief with a camp scholarship. Donations can be made directly online here. |
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Anyone who donates to RTB Fair Winds before June 15 th will be entered into a random drawing for our Summer Giveaway, a Sea Bags of Maine Wharf Tote (made from recycled sails) filled with two Tommy Bahama beach towels, a HydroFlask insulated water bottle, Vineyard Vines cap, Wawoba beach paddle set, and a nautical chart wristlet by Sea Bags of Maine, valued at over $300. Previous donors are automatically entered. |
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Join the RTB Fair Winds in supporting the Red Cross’ SleevesUp! blood donation campaign. It’s simple – visit our campaign page, pledge a pint of blood and make an appointment with the American Red Cross at one of their donation sites or one of your choosing between now and June 15th. We are 10% of the way there to our goal of 300 pints! Thank you, all, who have pledged and donated! Each pint of blood can save up to 3 lives. |
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RAINIER WORKING ON "RICHARD" PROJECT |
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Have you heard about the RICHARD (Rainier Integrates Charting Hydrography and Reef Demographics) project? This project is dedicated to Rick and his vision of a one-NOAA. It is a multiple multidisciplinary expedition to Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and is a collaborative mission with NOAA’s National Ocean Service and National Marine Fisheries Service. Learn about it here and follow the NOAA Ship Rainier and the progress of the RICHARD project on Facebook. |
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The Richard T. Brennan Fair Winds Memorial Foundation, Ltd.
1321 Blackwalnut Ct
Annapolis, MD 21403
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