Remembering Dean Webb 1936-2010

Long time Sierra Club member Dean Webb passed away at home on December 26, 2010. Dean was born in Dinuba, California, and grew up in the Central Valley farming community where his father raised grapes. Dean earned a B.S. in physics from Fresno State College and worked as an engineer with NASA-Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards AFB for 36 years. As a young man fascinated with science, he built his own telescope, grinding the large mirror himself. Photography was a life-long pursuit and the natural world was the subject matter of his prize-winning pictures. He loved hiking and camping, especially in Death Valley.

Dean was a vital member of the Antelope Valley Group of the Sierra Club. As program chair for an amazing 24 years, he brought a wide array of interesting and informative programs to the group. For the past two years he was a member of the group's executive board and regularly attended the monthly meetings of the Angeles Chapter Executive Committee.

A tireless worker on behalf of its plants, animals and people, Dean was an inspiration to others. He vigilantly tracked and reviewed projects and wrote thoughtful letters to City Councils, Planning Commissions, and other officials about his concerns. He testified at public hearings. He participated in public planning workshops on all kinds of topics. He founded and led the Antelope Valley Environmental Group (AVEG) which met monthly to discuss local issues. Through this group he kept people from various organizations informed and in contact with one another. His frequent email messages alerted his friends to items of concern and newspaper articles of interest. If there was a threat to the local environment, Dean was on it and made sure other people knew about it too.

Many Antelope Valley organizations have relied on Dean's contributions. He was a strong supporter and volunteer for Antelope Valley area State Parks, including Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland, Saddleback Butte State Park, and Red Rock Canyon State Park. He was Vice President and acting secretary of the Red Rock Interpretive Association. He was a founding member on the Board of Lancaster Photography Association. A few of the innumerable groups he was affiliated with include Desert Tortoise Preserve Committee, Poppy Reserve/Mojave Desert Interpretive Association, Friends of the Prime Desert Woodland, and most recently, Friends of Antelope Valley Open Space.

Dean will be deeply missed by those who knew him and remembered for his playful humor, generosity, passion for life, quest of knowledge, dedication, friendship, and kindness to all.