Erhard Haus Tribute
from Marianne Haus-Osterbauer
On behalf of myself and my brothers Richard, Randy, Kenny, John, Marcus and my sisters Connie, Toni, and Carolyn… (yes NINE children!), and 26 grandchildren, we want to thank you for naming the (BRW-lab) in honor of our father, Erhard Haus. While we were all well aware of his research efforts and various projects he was associated with, he was “Dad” and “Grandpa” to all of us and husband to our dear mother Gerry. We are certain he would be greatly touched by your kind gesture. He so loved collaborating with others in the field of Chronobiology. He would often tell us about all the wonderful colleagues around the world that he worked with, especially his involvement in biological rhythms. Our father was a very personable man. Not only was he a gifted scientist he was also gifted with the ability to make special connections with people from all walks of life. His kindness radiated broadly and people naturally gravitated to him. More so than his own, he took great pride in the success of others that he mentored. He was always overjoyed to see folks he respected succeed. He was also there to gently offer his guidance when those around him were presented with difficult challenges or stumbled on the path of life. He especially reveled in the successes of his twenty-six grandchildren! He led an extraordinary life and was a walking, talking fount of historical knowledge. His life was not without adversity. We were astounded, as were our friends when he would sometimes tell us about being shot and nearly killed in combat during WWII in Russia and his harrowing escape and arduous journey back home to Austria in the closing days of the war. We marveled at how after his family lost nearly everything during the war he preserved and worked his way up from being a farmhand in Wildermieming, Austria (a job he recalled very fondly) to earning a medical degree and completing a PhD program. We all miss him dearly and not a day goes by that our family doesn’t think of him. His death was a profound loss to the world of science but an even greater loss to us. We are so pleased that his beloved colleagues wish to honor his contributions and their memory of him. Again, thank you!
Sincerely,
Marianne Haus-Osterbauer