[GreenKeys] FW: DON OSTRAND - R.I.P.

[George B.Hutchison]

Date: Sat Jan 18 05:12:07 2014

From: MAIN CONSOLE

To: ITTY, GREENKEYS

Subject: DON OSTRAND - R I P

 

ITTY LISTENERS AND GREENKEYERS - - -

 

IT IS WITH GREAT REGRET THAT WE ANNOUNCE THE PASSING OF MR. DON 

OSTRAND, CURATOR OF THE MUSEUM OF COMMUNICATIONS, RECENTLY RENAMED 

THE HERBERT H. WARRICK, JR. MUSEUM OF COMMUNICATIONS.

 

DON PASSED AWAY AS A RESULT OF COMPLICATIONS ENCOUNTERED 

DURING SURGERY WEDNESDAY MORNING IN SEATTLE.

 

HE IS SURVIVED BY HIS WIFE SANDRA AND THREE CHILDREN. HE WAS 75.

 

DON WAS A LONG TIME EMPLOYEE OF PACIFIC NORTHWEST BELL, AND AFTER 

RETIREMENT REMAINED IN CHARGE OF THE MUSEUM.

 

ORIGINALLY PLANNED FOR THREE LOCATIONS, SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, 

PORTLAND, OREGON, AND SEATTLE, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE THREE 

LOACATIONS OF THE MUSEUM OF COMMUNICATIONS WAS ANNOUNCED BY H. E.  

WARRICK, JR, A PNW BELL EXECUTIVE IN, 1985. UNFORTUNATELY, THE 

SEATTLE FACILITY WAS THE ONLY ONE SET UP.

 

DON WAS A TRULY PEOPLE-ORIENTED PERSON AND ALWAYS HAD A GOOD WORD FOR 

EVERYONE. CONSTANTLY LOOKING FOR ADDITIONAL EXHIBITS OF THE HISTORY 

OF TELEPHONY, ONE OF THE GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS BY DON AND STAFF 

WAS THE ACQUISITION OF A BRITISH PUBLIC TELEPHONE BOOTH AS ONE SO 

OFTEN SEES IN MOVIES SET IN BRITAIN.

 

BELOW IS THE SEATTLE TIME STORY OF SEPTEMBER 8, 1995, DEPICTING THE 

AMAZING EFFORTS AND REMARKABLE INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION THAT ENDED 

UP WITH ONE OF THOSE RED WONDERS SITTING IN A POSITION OF HONOR.

 

HERE'S THE SEATTLE TIMES STORY - - -

 

BUT DOES IT TAKE DIMES? -- BRITISH PHONE BOOTH COVERS LONG DISTANCE 

TO JOIN SEATTLE MUSEUM

 

BY JACK BROOM - SEATTLE TIMES REPORTER

 

THESE DAYS, ANYONE CAN GET A LONG-DISTANCE TELEPHONE CALL. BUT DON 

OSTRAND GOT A HOLD OF SOMETHING MORE EXTRAORDINARY: A LONG-DISTANCE 

PHONE BOOTH.

 

OSTRAND, CURATOR OF SEATTLE'S VINTAGE TELEPHONE EQUIPMENT MUSEUM, 

YESTERDAY TOOK POSSESSION OF A BRIGHT RED, CAST-IRON ENGLISH 

TELEPHONE KIOSK, BELIEVED TO BE AT LEAST 70 YEARS OLD.

 

ITS 8,000-MILE JOURNEY TO SEATTLE REQUIRED HELP FROM HAM-RADIO BUFFS, 

TELEPHONE-COMPANY WORKERS AND RETIREES, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER JOHN 

MAJOR, THE ROYAL AIR FORCE, THE BOEING CO. AND A MAMMOTH RUSSIAN 

CARGO PLANE.

 

"IT'S BEAUTIFUL," OSTRAND BEAMED AS THE 8-FOOT-TALL BOOTH FINALLY 

TOOK ITS PLACE AMONG THE SWITCHBOARDS, TELEPHONES, LINES, FIXTURES, 

INSULATORS AND OTHER EQUIPMENT THAT CROWD HIS SMALL MUSEUM IN THE 

GEORGETOWN AREA.

 

CREDIT FOR THE BOOTH'S PRESENCE IN SEATTLE GOES PRINCIPALLY TO PAUL 

TURNHAM, 49, A RESIDENT OF CENTRAL ENGLAND WHO STOPPED BY THE MUSEUM 

ABOUT A YEAR AGO WHILE VISITING A SEATTLE FRIEND AND MUTUAL 

AMATEUR-RADIO BUFF, DICK BENDICKSEN.

 

THE TWO MEN DECIDED THAT A CLASSIC BRITISH DOME-TOPPED BOOTH WOULD BE 

A VALUABLE ADDITION TO THE DISPLAY, AND TURNHAM SET ABOUT TO PROCURE 

ONE.

 

BACK HOME, GETTING BRITISH TELECOMMUNICATIONS TO COME UP WITH A 

SURPLUS BOOTH WAS THE EASY PART. "THEY SAID: `WHERE DO YOU WANT IT?' 

SO WE SAID, `WELL, JUST SET IT RIGHT HERE IN THE FRONT GARDEN,' " 

SAID TURNHAM, WHO HAD CREWS PUT IT ON A GRASS STRIP BETWEEN HIS 

WIFE'S FUCHSIAS AND MARIGOLDS WHEN IT ARRIVED EARLY THIS SUMMER.

 

THE BIGGER CHALLENGE WAS FIGURING HOW TO GET THE THREE-QUARTER-TON 

RELIC TO SEATTLE.

 

ANOTHER AMATEUR-RADIO FRIEND CONTACTED A NEARBY U.S. AIR FORCE BASE 

IN ENGLAND BUT WAS TOLD THE AIR FORCE COULD MOVE THE PIECE ONLY IF IT 

WAS OWNED BY THE U.S. MILITARY OR AN AMERICAN MILITARY-SERVICE MEMBER 

RETURNING HOME.

 

TURNHAM WROTE TO AIRLINES AND TO A TELEVISION PRODUCER FOR HELP, 

RECEIVING NO REPLIES, BEFORE HE GOT THE IDEA TO CONTACT NO. 10 

DOWNING STREET.

 

"MY FRIEND SAID, `YOU CAN'T SEND A LETTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER.' AND 

I SAID: `WHY NOT? IF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW YOU NEED HELP, THEY CAN'T HELP 

YOU,' " TURNHAM RECALLED.

 

SURE ENOUGH, A STAFF MEMBER IN MAJOR'S OFFICE RESPONDED WITHIN DAYS, 

ENLISTING THE COUNTRY'S FOREIGN OFFICE AND CONSULATE IN SEATTLE. THE 

WHEELS BEGAN TO TURN.

 

A ROYAL AIR FORCE TRUCK HAULED THE BOOTH TO AN AIRPORT IN DARBY, 

ENGLAND, FROM WHICH ROLLS ROYCE ENGINES ARE SHIPPED FOR NEW BOEING 

777S.

 

A BRITISH FREIGHT COMPANY THAT TRANSPORTS THE ENGINES ON RUSSIAN 

ANTONOV 124S, ONE OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST AIRCRAFT, TUCKED THE PHONE 

BOOTH IN WITH ITS SHIPMENT OF TWO ENGINES THIS WEEK, TOUCHING DOWN AT 

BOEING FIELD YESTERDAY AFTERNOON.

 

TURNHAM WAS ON HAND FOR THE ARRIVAL, BEAMING WITH PRIDE.

 

THE ONLY DIFFICULT MOMENT CAME AS A CRANE LIFTED THE BOOTH TO THE 

SECOND FLOOR OF THE MUSEUM, NOT FAR FROM THE AIRPORT. A STRAP SLIPPED 

AND THE BOOTH DROPPED ABOUT 8 FEET, DENTING A DOOR ON THE BUILDING 

BUT CAUSING NO DAMAGE TO THE BOOTH ITSELF.

 

"MY HEART STOPPED," TURNHAM SAID. "I COULD ALMOST SEE IT CRASHING TO 

BITS."

 

TODAY, DIGNITARIES FROM THE BRITISH CONSULATE WERE TO FORMALLY 

PRESENT THE PIECE TO THE MUSEUM, WHICH IS OPERATED BY A VOLUNTEER 

STAFF OF PRESENT AND FORMER PHONE-COMPANY EMPLOYEES CALLED THE 

TELEPHONE PIONEERS OF AMERICA.

 

THE PUBLIC MAY SEE THE BOOTH, AND THE TELEPHONE MEMORABILIA, ON 

TUESDAYS FROM 8:30 A.M. TO 2:30 P.M. ADMISSION TO THE MUSEUM, AT 7000 

E. MARGINAL WAY S., IS FREE.

 

DON - THOSE WHO KNEW YOU WILL SURELY SMILE WHEN YOU COME TO MIND.

 

REST WELL.....

 

NNNN

 

 

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