RASC Windsor Centre 9th Annual Observation Night (1953): looked at the moon and rings around Saturn.

Left to right: C.H. Montrose, R.C. Bradley, Mrs. Helen Huneault, W.A. Hare, Lambert Huneault, Danny Bawtenheimer, G.A. Nyberg.

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I was a friend of Dan Bawtenheimer back in 1953. He was able to help me with my Astronomical interests and answer most of my questions. He was a very likeable and friendly person. Dan enjoyed other interests too such as a record collection that he had of all the great songs of the day and the past. He was always so eager to show you what he was collecting and if you agreed to sit with him to look through all the volumes of 78 speed records, you could be there for some time.

And of course while you were there visiting him he had to show you where he painted. He had a small studio along the side of the building behind his observatory. A visit to his little studio showed you just how active he was with that interest and he had lots of paintings to show you both completed and ones being worked on.

But what I really enjoyed was talking with him in his observatory. There he would be standing smoking his pipe and talking about what was good to see in the sky. He had good 'pointers' on what we should be looking for and things to avoid. And he was always prepared to stay up all night if you were so inclined to join him. What I would give right now to take him up on one of his all-night sessions. But time has moved on and we can't dwell on that. But I can just see him gleaming from ear to ear with his thoughts pouring out. His history of various constellations and his annoyance at you if you couldn't remember the principal stars of those constellations. But a good guy if you could follow him with his drive for knowledge whether it was with Astronomy or a musical collection or just oil painting.

I moved away shortly after my visits with him in 1953/54/55 and took up residence in Nova Scotia. I have been away all these years and only just returned in 2012. I bought a house here and am trying to get back into learning about the City of Windsor again. This of course brought me back to Astronomy and as such I joined RASC and had lots of questions with fellow members about those former members etc.. This brought up Dan Bawtenheimer's name. I was sorry to hear that he passed away in 1981. I sure would have liked to talk to him again and see if we could share some of our thoughts that we had back in the mid 50's. In fact he had played a little trick on me back than and I would have reminded him of that. I know he wouldn't have forgotten about that. But what the heck. Time has moved on.