Joe Baugher goes west

[Forgotten Field]

I am very sorry to hear this, and enjoyed the limited interactions I had with him. I don't mean to be ghoulish, but what will happen to the site and information? It was a very valuable, useful resource.

[Barrie MacLeod]

Sad to hear. I hope we all thanked him when he was with us. I did as I made frequent use of the site and sent him info I had.

[bdk]

I am very sorry to hear this, and enjoyed the limited interactions I had with him. I don't mean to be ghoulish, but what will happen to the site and information? It was a very valuable, useful resource.

I think that is a fair question. It would be a shame if all his valuable work were lost to time.

[Paul Stroud]

Sad news, it's dedicated people like this who help make our hobby so rewarding and fascinating. His website is currently available to view in the Wayback Machine site; I don't know how permanent that is but maybe helpful if his site is taken out of commission?
RIP

[Scott Rose]

This is sad, he has been one of the core warbird resources since forever. He will be missed.

If anybody hears about the fate of the site let me know, I will not let it fade into the ether.

[Ruberneck]

This individual appears to be maintaining the serial list.
https://www.crouze.com/baugher/

[JohnB]

Thanks for the link.
I have bookmarked it, at least until I learn the new name.

It might be nice/polite/encouraging to drop the new proprietor a line to thank him for maintaining the site.

Hopefully, Baugher's group of volunteers, will continue their updates.

Also, I'd encourage WIXers to submit updates.
As I mentioned previously, I have found a lot of warbird histories not updated.

The "star" warbirds...are listed, but you'd be surprised how many Stearmans and L-birds are not.

With Stearmans, you'll see the N number and MSN on the FAA documents/website, but you'll need to correlate the MSN with USAAF serial.
A bit time consuming, but not difficult with the right book.

[Scott Rose]

This individual appears to be maintaining the serial list.
https://www.crouze.com/baugher/

Thanks. Glad it will still be around.

[Nathan]

I regularly spend an hour or two just aimlessly browsing serial numbers and reading details about airframes, personnel, incidents, and accidents..

I do this all the time!

I just emailed Joe a few months ago on trying to figure out a aircraft serial number to a C-124. It took him about 3 days but finally emailed me with the correct info I needed plus more. I hope his site stays up!

This is a huge loss to the aviation history community!

[Nathan]

I regularly spend an hour or two just aimlessly browsing serial numbers and reading details about airframes, personnel, incidents, and accidents..

I do this all the time!

I just emailed Joe a few months ago on trying to figure out a aircraft serial number to a C-124. It took him about 3 days but finally emailed me with the correct info I needed plus more. I hope his site stays up!

This is a huge loss to the aviation history community!

[Noha307]

It's a been out for a while, but since it hasn't been mentioned in this thread, his obituary is below:

To my darling husband Joseph Fontaine Baugher, of 35 beautiful married years! You have been my whole world.

We met in 1965 in the Physics Department at Brown University in Providence Rhode Island. I was Physics Department secretary on the fourth floor of the newly built Barus Holly modern science building. You were an adorable young Physics graduate student working for your Ph.D. Not only were you brilliant but also a gentleman. You had eyes only for me. Our Physics Department was also fun. Chairman of our Physics Department, Phil Bray was a character.

Finally, in 1969, you received your Ph.D. in physics and went on a fellowship for one year in Sheffield, England. You missed me so much that you sent for me. I stayed with you the whole year. We traveled to Paris and visited all the famous places in England. We loved the Palace and went to the most beautiful modern movie theater to see "Gone With The Wind." Upon returning to the U.S. in 1970 you got employment at the University of Chicago, teaching physics.

So you went on from there to lucent technology bell laboratories and the Illinois institute of art

We married and bought a beautiful three-story brick townhouse. You were such an intellectual; aviation and astronomy were your passions. You were an expert on both. You were quite the biker, biking the bike paths along the lake. In addition you loved walking. Among your many accomplishments are your two books: "On Civilized Stars" and "The Space Age Solar System."

It took brilliance to write these books. You was modest, however you had a genius I.Q. As your wife, math and science were not in my range of intelligence. I am an artist. I have always been attracted to scientists and my dream came true when we married. I was blessed to be married to this magnanimous man ... JOSEPH FONTAINE BAUGHER. We have a daughter, Sarah, a lawyer who lives in Baltimore, Maryland. We are so proud of her. Joe, you were also a granddad to 12-year-old Jacob. You loved your study, home office (man cave) that I designed. You had an outstanding book collection and were an avid reader. Throughout our married life, we always had a date night watching the "Star Trek" series and other science fiction programs.

Sweetie, it broke my heart when you became ill in August 2023 and together we fought for your life. However your cancer and kidney disease were too advanced and the treatments failed in November. So sorry you lost your fight; sweetheart I am lost and empty without you.

Thank you my precious dearest sweetheart for being my loving partner in life. Joseph dear, I had young loves dream with you and there will never be another you! There is a void in my heart and I will miss you forever, Dear!

YOUR LOVING AND DEVOTED WIFE, JUDITH

(Source: Hyde Park Herald)

[JohnB]

Nice obituary. He sounds like quite a guy. We only saw one side of his efforts.

Last week I emailed an update on a local warbird.
A few days later I received an email from Marco, the new proprietor thanking me and letting me know the change was made.

So the site seems to be in good hands.

[Ken]

Possibly the sweetest obituary I’ve ever read. We should all be half as lucky to have someone care about us that much.

Ken

[old iron]

I have forwarded this obituary to my wife. This is so personal and direct, so much better than the usual encyclopedic but impersonal presentation of accomplishments and survivors.

It is nice to be loved by someone in that way.