January 14, 2004
In Memoriam
Robert C. Strand
Robert C. Strand, a UCSC alumnus and a 30-year UCSC employee, died on January 5. He was 55 years old.
Strand graduated from Crown College in 1970 with a degree in computer science. He began working for the campus's computer center while a student and continued after graduation. In 1971 he transferred to the library where he worked as a computer programmer until his retirement in April 1998.
In a letter distributed to the library community at his retirement, Strand's coworkers Bob White and Larry Millsap described in detail Strand's many contributions to the library. Strand, they said, was the computer talent behind McHenry Library's pioneering efforts to computerize operations during the tenure of founding University Librarian Don Clark. He developed and maintained the database of bibliographic records and produced a computer-generated catalog from it. As the database went through changes and eventually was replaced by the MELVYL system, Strand worked on a number of projects and continued to devise creative solutions to technical challenges that arose.
Outside of work, Strand's interests included photography, mountain climbing, sky diving, and piloting his own plane.
A celebration of Rob Strand's life will be held on January 24 at the
Seascape Resort in Aptos at 4 p.m.
Contributions in his name may be made to the UCSC Library or to Angel Flight West, 3237 Donald Douglas Loop South, Santa Monica, CA 90405. Contributions to the library should be directed to the UC Santa Cruz Foundation, c/o Gifts Administration, 509A Swift Street, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95060.
