Hi Harry,

I'm also  very sorry to hear the news about Bill.   I am grateful that
about 10 years ago I got to spend a full day with him in the field, on
the heels of a work trip I had to a medical research site in
Jacksonville.  Conchologically speaking, it was probably the worst
single day I ever spent in the field.  Despite being taken by Bill to
a number of habitats and sites, including several ocean beaches at low
tide, bay beaches, and some woodland/terrestrial sites, we found
absolutely ZERO collectible shells. (I really didn't need any more
Petricolaria pholadiformis or Littoraria irrorata, so I'm sticking
with that number).  At most every site Bill voiced variants of  the
same complaints  I've grown used to over the years "this place used to
be real good for this shell species or that  shell species X years
ago,  but it's been going dowhill for years" or some variation
thereof....Yet, at the same time, it was one of the most enjoyable
days in the field I ever had. I got to meet Bill, experience his wry
sense of humor,  visit what I learned was the type locality of
Helicina orbiculata  (don't ask me to recall the name of the place),
and see the site of the legendary Mayport scallop piles of old (there
were still some single valves around) and a whole lot more.  His
energy and enthusiasm were noteworthy, even as we continued  finding
nothing everywhere we went, before finally throwing in the towel and
ending  up at a Wendy's somewhere nearby for dinner.

To this day I think its the only full day shelling outing I've ever
had where I was completely 'skunked', but that was all part of the
fun.

In the context you mentioned re: maintaining the JAX Shell Club
website, I found Bill to be very responsive and capable in all the
interactions I had with him about one thing or another that we were
trying to add or edit.   Such a shame.

Steve

On 9/16/22, Karlynn Morgan <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Harry,
> I am stunned!  The passing of Bill is an immense loss to the shelling
> community.  His work on JAX shells will stand as a testament to his love
> of shells and to photography.
> Bill has been a huge help to COA as a consultant in establishing and
> building our website. He was a great help to me personally, giving me
> free permission to use his wonderful photography and to quote his
> personal contributions to JAX shells which many people believe belongs
> to the Jacksonville Shell Club but really belonged to Bill.
> I know he was a close personal friend to you and that the two of you
> were often close collaborators on many shell projects.
> I too wish for Bill to rest in Peace.
> Karlynn
>
> On 9/16/2022 4:58 PM, Harry Lee wrote:
>> Fellow listers,
>>
>> I regret having to inform you of the sudden passing of Bill Frank at
>> 2:17 PM today.
>>
>> A vital member of the local and international shelling community, Bill
>> started collecting as a G.I., serving in the an intelligence corps and
>> traveling widely. Upon his retirement, he and his wife Chin moved to
>> Jacksonville, FL, of which he was a native son. He immediately joined
>> the Jacksonville Shell Club and soon served in leadership positions,
>> perhaps most notably as editor of the /Shell-O-Gram/, the club's
>> newsletter and scientific journal, for many years.
>>
>> Witnessing the advance in communication technology close at hand, Bill
>> later parlayed the computer skills he learned in the service, his
>> auto-didactic grasp of malacology, editing experience, and knack for
>> photography into the establishment of a website on February 11, 1998.
>> Dubbed Jaxshells <http://jaxshells.org/>, today it is comprised of
>> over 13,000 features. The vast majority of these are illuminated with
>> photographs and video by him, but contributors include many others,
>> some of comparable renown.
>>
>> Among the citations he gathered as webmaster is the /Neptunea/ Award,
>> announced at the 2008 COA Convention in San Antonio, TX.
>>
>> Bill made himself a vital, arguably indispensible, part of the
>> everyday life of a global network of amateurs and professionals who
>> enjoy learning the ways of the Mollusca. Although he is irreplaceable,
>> we can now reflect on all the pleasure and enlightenment he brought so
>> many of our number.
>>
>> Rest in peace, friend and mentor,
>> Harry
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>> [log in to unmask] - a forum for informal discussions on
>> molluscs To leave this list, click on the following web link:
>> http://listserv.uga.edu/scripts/wa-UGA.exe?SUBED1=conch-l-L&A=1 Type
>> your email address and name in the appropriate box and click leave the
>> list.
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> [log in to unmask] - a forum for informal discussions on molluscs
> To leave this list, click on the following web link:
> http://listserv.uga.edu/scripts/wa-UGA.exe?SUBED1=conch-l-L&A=1
> Type your email address and name in the appropriate box and
> click leave the list.
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------------------------------
[log in to unmask] - a forum for informal discussions on molluscs
To leave this list, click on the following web link:
http://listserv.uga.edu/scripts/wa-UGA.exe?SUBED1=conch-l-L&A=1
Type your email address and name in the appropriate box and
click leave the list.
----------------------------------------------------------------------