In Memory

David Altman - Class Of 1969

Dave Altman tribute by Ironworks Gym

 

 

https://www.berkeleyside.com/2020/11/11/climber-dave-altman-died-suv-fire-berkeley-ironworks?fbclid=IwAR2YQl7Pp_vUPmUDJiVgU2rbOaBzV0NyncaPNLO7a3wAQXG3



 
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11/13/20 10:26 AM #1    

Wayne Hawkes (1969)

Senior year, Dave, me and one or two other bored science students raided the chemistry storeroom for concentrated sulfuruc acid, concentrated nitric acid, and glycerol to take over to my house while Mom was at work to make our own ... wait for it ... nitroglycerin! We boiled that witches' brew for hours until we lost our nerve and poured the entire mixture down the (moron alert!) garbage disposer! Not content to have survived that trial, we then turned our attention to nitrocellulose - gun cotton! That "experiment" resulted in some very flammable white stuff that sparkled as it burned furiously - success! 

On mellower days, Dave turned me on to strawberry crepes, sassafras tea, and LSD. When we re-connected at UC Berkeley, Dave was "writing his thesis" for his math PhD in Tuolomne Meadows. I think he might have still been working on that when his luck ran out. We located Dave at Ironworks in Berkeley when we were planning the 50th reunion, but in true hermit fashion, he did not respond to repeated invitations. He was like that. Bye Dave.


11/13/20 07:57 PM #2    

Shiraz Alikhan (1969)

I was saddened to hear the news about Dave and so surprised to learn about what he was doing now. It's amazing the twists and turns our lives can take. Dave and I shared several math and science classes in high school and I recall seeing him a few years later when he seemed so excited about some of the math professors he had at UC Berkeley. 

He and I would see each other from time to time at Manor Music in Pacific Manor. He loved to hang out there as did a number of other local musicians. He played bass and I think he was in a band with his brother but we never played music together. That shop opened in 1965 and it's still there.  

May he rest in peace.


01/03/24 12:26 PM #3    

Wayne Hawkes (1969)

It's been two years since Dave Altman unexpectedly passed away, and now his memorial bench has been installed at one of his favorite rock-climbing spots in Berkeley's Indian Rock Park. Many of his friends will gather for a memorial service on his birthday, January 12, 2024. The details are on the attached flyer, along with a photo of the recently installed bench.


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