I had the good fortune to work with Ed Folk for more than 20 years. He was so curious about everything and everyone, always seeing the best in people, and it's not surprising that we became close friends. We had several things in common from the beginning: love of horses, wolves, Poland and good writing, and over the years, he stoked my interest in birds, Alaska, the Arctic, the Northeast and so much else. He celebrated with me when we finally got our first horse, then each one after that, and he came, once with his son Chris and often with his wife Bess, to watch my girls ride in 4-H and other local horse shows. Every time he came to the house, he brought treats for the dogs, and even helped to train them. We gathered with a few friends and family each May to watch the Kentucky Derby, drink Mint Juleps and wear crazy hats. One of the most memorable times in my life was when I helped Ed write his autobiography. He was in his mid-90's and had put a little time into writing a few pages about his life over several years, but always put it aside to follow his new ideas for research. Finally I told him he had to stop doing research and writing more papers and that he had to focus on getting that autobiography done! Immersed in it, I was privileged to get to vicariously experience so many exciting times and places with him! Ed's positivity was one of his wonderful characteristics, one that I hope to emulate, tho, sorry to say, I forget to do it. But I will never forget Ed, he was a bright spot in the world, and I miss him greatly.

I was a colleague of Ed's at the University of Iowa. He was down the hall from me. He was such a gentleman, always greeting me with a smile and stopping to chat and check to see how I was doing. He was a kind soul.

I was priveliged to overlap with Ed for ten years 1970 -1980 in the Dept of Physiology. He was a wonderful colleague and very kind and generous to all the young faculty recruited about that time including Jay Farber,and Dave Dawson.

His passion for research on hibernating animals not only took him to study wild polar bears at Barrow, Alaska,he also studied woodchucks under his own farmhouse in Iowa. He loved collecting data and was a fountain of interesting facts on

physiological adaptations to cold. A truly dedicated scientist who lived a long and adventurous life.

It is with deep sadness that I express my condolences to family, friends, and colleagues who had the great fortune to know and love this amazing person. I am deeply honored to be a relative by marriage, and a friend through time spent with him walking (exploring), hiking, and hearing and sharing stories in Minnesota and Maine, and on his Iowa farm. "Energy begets energy," he would say. "The more you put out, the more energy you will have." He was, of course, right, and he constantly demonstrated how this could be done. We are all better for knowing him.

He was the center of a great family, and the epicenter of pioneering research and scientific pursuits that brought the world insight about which I will only ever know a fraction. I will always picture him patiently and systematically taking notes of the world around him. He constantly worked to understand and remember it all. One is always humbled in the face of brilliance, but humble was the way he played his. What a kind, warm, thoughtful, and caring human he was.

I was proud to call him Granddad and see a small portion of his enormous world.

I am very sorry to lose this wonderful man, and will miss him dearly. May peace be with everyone he touched.

We loved this man. He was our neighbor on the farm. He loved counting the birds and would ask us how many we'd seen. His love of nature and stories of his travels were so enjoyed. His memory will be with us forever.

Our sympathies to his family and friends who share this great loss.

I am so sorry for your loss. Ed was a great colleague of mine since I arrived in 1989. He was an inspiration with his unflagging enthusiasm for science as well as his prodigious work ethic. He set a standard for devotion to his craft that was unmatched. I will very much miss seeing him around the Department.

The loss of a great, great man!! I was so fortunate to go with Ed to Antarctica. He was known by every explorer that we met. I learned so much from him about the cold and all of the animals there. He spent much time in the Arctic, and was the world authority on polar bears. He knew all of the important Inuit carvers in the arctic, and his collection was one of the best organized collections that the Smithsonian ever received. Ed was kind and a superb teacher.

We spent many evenings with Ed and Beth at the Athletic club on Tuesday evenings.I will miss him.

May God bless the family.

With deepest sympathy.

Reg Cooper