The first of four siblings, Greg was a serious student but he also enjoyed participating in youth groups and other activities. He earned his Eagle Scout badge, was actively involved in the Youth Fellowship at St. Paul United Methodist Church and sang tenor in the prestigious Lincoln Boys Choir.

Greg was my childhood friend from the time of my second birthday party in 1952 until 2024. Our parents were good friends and "good Methodists," which meant we saw each other on many, many Sundays. Our families also occasionally got together on Sunday afternoons for homemade ice cream (using respective family recipes). When we went to the Henry's, as soon as I entered their house I can still hear Herb saying to me "Greg's downstairs." I'd go downstairs and into the room with the floor drain where the melted ice flowed, and there was Greg turning the crank of the ice cream maker (something that takes 45 minutes or more to complete). I'm going to guess over the years that Greg did alot more cranking of ice cream than I did.

Greg and Ann making homemade ice cream, 1955.

Greg and I both attended Southeast High School and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where he earned a B.S. with distinction in Mathematics and Physics and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Triangle Fraternity. Greg then went to the University of Chicago to earn a PhD in Physics, and worked at Fermilab, America's renowned particle physics laboratory.

Greg's final move in 1979 took him to Arlington, Viriginia to be an Operations Research Analyst at the U.S. Office of Management and Budget in Washington, D.C. until his retirement in 2011.

Greg enjoyed all types of music. He played trombone with marching bands at Southeast and Lincoln East high schools. He created a light show with our mutual friend Larry Stepp for a local production of the Who's rock opera Tommy which I know was one of his undergraduate highlights. He took organ lessons as a later-life hobby continuing his life-long involvement with music.

Living and working in Washington, D.C. for most of his life kept him from attending "Phonograph Birthday" parties held in Nebraska, California, and Colorado, however, Greg did contribute to Friends of the Phonograph (FOTP) on-line lists such as "Favorite Record Album Covers," and "Top 10 Movies."

Santanya's "Abraxis", Greg's favorite album cover.

For the FOTP Favorite Movies list, Greg limited himself to 20; he said he couldn't rank them (he was the only one who got away with this) so his movie selections are listed as "UR" (Unranked). (Note: he never updated this list so I'm sure there would have been a few changes). He also submitted movie titles to go into the "Phonographs in the Movies" gallery which displays movies having a phonograph connection.

Greg never documented an early phonograph memory for FOTP's "Memories of the Phonograph" gallery, but he grew up with a phonograph in the home and a record player in his room and he owned many LPs. I remember Greg saying that he really liked The Band's first album, circa 1970, and I listened to it with him in his room -- but he had many others that were favorites through the years.

"The Band" (The Brown Album) 1969 - it's an album I can picture Greg playing.

 

One of our phone calls was a reminder that Greg still considered recorded sound an important part of his home entertainment system and he mentioned that he had been thinking about getting new speakers. But he then clarified that he was going to repair rather than upgrade his speakers and the reasoning for that decision then morphed into an ad hoc science seminar related to recorded sound, the bit rate of digital recordings and the specifications of his own system. Greg's conclusion: Fixing his speakers would still meet the specs that he needed to enjoy digital recordings -- QED no new speakers were required. It was a typical Greg phone conversation which often included fact-checking and back of the envelope calculations.

Thinking and reading about current affairs, the environment, physics, political matters, pro-democracy causes, books, periodicals and writing are where Greg spent most of his time in retirement. He watched and recorded many programs and news broadcasts which always included the local news. In his retirement Greg had hoped to develop and promote some forums where ordinary citizens would be invited to come and discuss various topics, hear experts, ask questions, review and even recommend policy proposals. Greg's vision for those public forums unfortunately never materialized.

I wish Greg was still here to write his own Memory of the Phonograph page. Instead, his entry into the "In Memory of Friends of the Phonograph" written by me means that he's no longer available to take my calls...and so much more.

I will remember Greg for many things, but especially for being a life-long friend, a man of integrity and a thinker with a unique sense of humor.

The following photos include a few shared memories with Greg, and Greg with his family.

L-R Greg, Ann, Blaine, Mitch in their Monterey Drive home's backyard in December 1961. Greg grew up in this house, always felt like it was home, and was upset (to the degree that Greg was ever upset) when his parents decided to sell the house many years after he had moved to Washington, D.C. He made sure he visited his parents and that home before they moved.

Lincoln East High School Graduation Picture, Class of 1968

College Graduation Celebration party with Greg, Mary, Lyle and Doug, 1972 - See Halloween party 1953 for this same four-some.

 

Doug and Sharon visited Washington, D.C. and Greg in Arlington, VA in 1989.

On my first visit to Greg's in the early 1980's after he moved to Arlington I asked him where he kept his toaster since I didn't see one in the kitchen. Greg responded that he didn't have a toaster. As a "toast" person I was a bit surprised and offered to buy one. He declined by saying he didn't need one.

A few years later I was visiting Greg and asked him if he had a place for a toaster yet. Greg said he didn't have a toaster but did have Cinnabons. I had never heard of Cinnabons and they were delicious. After eating a Cinnabon my "where do you keep your toaster" question logically should have stopped since Cinnabons were a nice alternative to toast.

But my question periodically continued to be asked over the years even though Greg was consistent that he didn't have a toaster, didn't want a toaster, and never would get a toaster. On one of our last calls (after some thirty-five years of Greg fielding the question and answering "No"), I asked if he had found a place for a toaster yet and Greg said "No"...but this time added "what is it with you and toast?" I paused, and then said "I don't know what you're talking about." After a "Greg pause," there was Greg's expanded "OhhhhKay" which meant it was time for another topic.

I'll miss not asking Greg about his toaster.

 

Doug and Sharon's visit to Greg's new Arlington home in 2000 with custom bookcases throughout his living room for his many books. Greg designed that house and watched it being built, brick by brick. I'm not sure how many knew that he had built an elevator shaft in the house for the possibility that the degeneration of his eyes would continue to the point that he would then install the elevator. Fortunately, it was never needed and that shaft remained a storage area for twenty-four years.

Greg's OMB Retirement cake and speech, 2011.