In Remembrance of our friend and colleague, Captain John J. Freidhoff
Captain John as he was affectionately known around campus passed away while SCUBA diving in Lake Ontario one year ago on October 19, 2007. He was the Field Station Manager for the Great Lakes Center’s Aquatic Field Station located at Porter Avenue.
John was known for his famous smile and willingness to help anyone at any time they needed. His laugh and jokes are what those of us who knew him remember best. He was responsible for converting the field station from a research facility into a viable community resource open to all. He never missed an opportunity to involve kids from high schools, boy scouts, sea scouts or community groups in the research projects to help them gain experience and knowledge of the Great Lakes.
He is missed greatly by those of us who knew and worked with him but perhaps more so by those of us who are trying to fill his shoes. The legacy Captain John has left will continue on at the college and the Great Lakes Center for untold decades. Besides leaving behind the college community, John left behind four children and his wife. The GLC has established a trust fund to help defray the college education costs for the kids. Anyone wishing to donate may contact the Great Lakes Center office at (716) 878-4329. Checks made payable to the John J Freidhoff Trust and dropped off to the office Secretary, Cathy at the Science Building 261 or mailed to:
Buffalo State College
Great Lakes Center
1300 Elmwood Ave.
SCIE 261
Buffalo, NY 14222
Thank you.
Memorial Tree Planting for Captain John J. Freidhoff
The Buffalo State Chapter of UUP (United University Professions) held a memorial for Captain John J. Freidhoff on Workers Memorial Day, Monday, April 28, at noon at the Buffalo State College Great Lakes Field Station, located at the foot of Porter Avenue behind the Naval Reserve Center. "Captain John," as he was affectionately known, died last October in an accident that occurred during a Lake Ontario scuba diving expedition to retrieve lost research equipment for SUNY Brockport's Department of Environmental Science and Biology. Workers Memorial Day was established in 1989 to remember those injured or killed in work-related accidents. Captain John was a member of UUP, the union representing faculty members and professional staff employed by SUNY. A tree has been planted on the lawn of the Field Station in Captain John's honor.
