P3D Re: FRANK MAYER

["Dr. George A. Themelis" <DrT-3d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>I AM SORRY TO INFORM THE STEREOSCOPIC COMMUNITY THAT FRANK MAYER 
>HAS PASSED AWAY ON JANUARY 6, 1998.

I was deeply saddened to hear these news... To Dick Twichell's
biographical sketch, I would like to add that Frank Mayer was also a 
most generous person.  

Frank was next in line in the Beta mailing list, which means that I sent
him the folios.  When I first joined Beta, two years ago, he wrote to
compliment me for my entries (only direct feedback I have ever received)
and he also sent a box with viewers as a gift.  Included in the box were
a Realist red button, a Realist handi-viewer and a few more.  Frank had
heard of my interest in viewers and he wanted me to have these viewers
because he did not use them.  I was shocked, because I really did not
know him (and we never met in person).  I offered to pay for the viewers
but he did not want to accept any money.  He only wanted a few AC bulbs 
for his Kodaslide viewer.

When I mailed him the last Beta folio just before Christmas, I included
a Christmas card.  A few days later I received a box from Frank.  Inside
the box I found a model B View-Master viewer in excellent condition.
His note read: "Dear George, please accept this Model B Viewer as a gift.
Some years ago, you generously gave me several viewer bulbs for which I
will always be grateful..."  And he went on to tell me that he once
was very active in View-Master but his interest declined and ended up
selling his collection "very, very successfully" through John Saddy,  
("I would recommend him, if at some time you choose to dispose of ANY 
stereo items")

I will always remember Frank for his generosity (how often do you 
get a box a viewers as a gift from someone that you don't even know?)
and his wonderful entries in Beta, many from Europe and Spain.

-- George Themelis


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