Friday, July 14, 2017
Julio! He was a dear friend of more than three decades, beginning with the day he and his booming voice marched into the Trailside Museum to introduce themselves. This was at the Pound Ridge Reservation in Cross River, New York in the spring of 1985. I'd recently begun work at the museum as its curator. Of course, Julio's reputation had preceded him by years, so it was quite an honor to me as well as a delight that he had come to seek me out. I could see at once why my fellow naturalists spoke of him so enthusiastically. He was warm, uproariously funny, full of colorful and sometimes wickedly incisive opinions, and generous in his praise of his friends. My wife, Debbie, and I loved Julio and always rejoiced in his company or at the mere mention of his name. We had many happy walks with him, often at night, often in pursuit of owls, and we remember the time he welcomed us with great fanfare when we attended a meeting he'd organized of the Linnaean Society in New York City. Debbie and I knew Julio before we knew each other, and he helped pull us into each other's orbits. We'll be forever grateful for that, just as we'll always treasure our signed copies of the book on owls he produced with distinguished wildlife photographer Art Wolfe. Glance at that book, and it seems all about the photos. Start reading, and you'll be astonished and captivated. Of course you are. It's Julio! We send condolences to his daughter, Mary, and to other family members and friends. Wish we lived closer (we're in the Adirondacks) so we could attend the memorial service. I can't resist ending with something I'll hear from now on in the voice of every great horned owl. "Who-who-who-Julio!"
