FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[vic rzonca]

Rock Currier has passed. Rest in peace Rock.

[Jordi Fabre]

Oh no....

[Michael Shaw]

This is sad news, and a big loss to the mineral community. I always looked forward to visiting with him in Tucson and Denver. In fact I found a few little goodies in his tent at Denver last week. Hard to believe he is no longer with us. Condolences to family and friends. RIP Rock.

[rweaver]

Check out Lithographie Ltd Facebook page. They have a nice write up on Rock.

[Jordi Fabre]

He gave us his time and his intelligence

Travels and Jokes of Rock Currier

Best Minerals

[Gail]

I saw him last week in Denver in his big pick up truck. He had said, to others, that he wasn't feeling well. Sigh.

[bob kerr]

What a major loss to the mineral world. I loved his 5 articles in the MR and going into his room at the HTCC/Inn Suites was always a pleasure.

Does anyone know if his business - Jewel Tunnel Imports - will continue??

bob

[Carles Millan]

Very very sad news. I never met Rock in person but I'll miss him.

About Mineral Collecting

[Tobi]

I can fully agree with Carles: Never met this outstanding man in person, but I know what enormous loss his passing is for the mineral world. Very sad news :-(

[alfredo]

Yes, Bob, Rock's business, JTI, will continue.

Rock and I shared a hotel room at the Denver show last week. Late-night chats with him were always enlightening. He was full of obscure mineral locality knowledge, interesting anecdotes about infamous people in the mineral world, general wisdom about humanity, and good business advice. I miss that man!

He did say just a few days before he left us that he was proud of his employees and that he was sure they were capable of running JTI without him.

[John Medici]

Sad news! Rock was a wealth of interesting mineral information, including some surprising trivia. He and I interviewed for the same chemical-oriented job at one time. His chemical career was much shorter-lived than mine, and I purchased some of his early pre-Jewel Tunnel items (from an early Asbestos, Quebec buying trip) when he decided to become self-employed; I don't think he ever regretted his world travel-loaded life since then. Rest in peace, Rock!

[Peter Megaw]

We should not lose track of the fact that Rock...in addition to his manifold positive attributes... actively embraced his argillaceous pedal extremities. The "Inner City" told some of the story, as did his limericks, his encylopedic memory for nasty jokes and profound disgust with political correctness, sanctimoniousness, ignorance and stupidity of all stripes.

On learning of his demise, I pulled out my long-sought and only recently acquired (thanks Ron) 1/9th leather bound second edition of his classic "World's Most Incredible Mineral Specimens" (Jewel Tunnel Press, 1989) and was delighted to find his "Crystals Not Pistols" bookplate in the back stamped "Deaccessioned". This was a slightly raunchier version of the CnP T-shirts he had made ...which is in a drawer around here somewhere.

St. Peter has his hands full with this one...

[Peter Megaw]

Rock had a remarkable ability to pierce the blather and bluster of the commercial mineral world...and was not shy about pointing out publically when the Emperor of the moment was underdressed.

From the Second Edition 1/9th Leather edition of "The World's Most Incredible Mineral Specimens" (Jewel Tunnel Press, 1989) comes Rock's priceless Glossary ...shorter than Fleischer but infinitely more amusing

[alfredo]

"argillaceous pedal extremities"... ;))
Fabulous! I'll definitely plagiarize that.

[Ed Huskinson]

In the winter of 1974, I had just finished Phase 1 of a drilling project in the Christmas Mountains of Texas, working as NORANDA Exploration's Texas Projects geologist After the end of the year holidays had passed, and the dust had settled, I headed off the the Tucson office to work on drafting the interim report and maps. This placed me in Tucson during the first week in February. Reading the local newspaper, I saw an advertisement for a local mineral show. "Hey!" I said to nobody in particular, "there's a mineral show this weekend, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday." It was late Thursday afternoon. "They'll be setting up right about now." I saw that it was to be held at the Community Center, or Convention Center, whatever it was called, and realized that it was just a few blocks away.

Off I went, found an entrance, and rode the escalator down onto the show floor. No security, no oversight, just a bunch of mineral enthusiasts setting up to showcase their wares and/or collections. I wandered in.

I was sticking my head into various cases for a better looksee at the specimens, when a big old guy said "Can I help you?" I asked a question or two about his display and we chatted. He introduced himself. "Rock Currier? That's your name, really?"

"Yep, it is.".

Rock led me around, introduced me to a few guys. Dick Gaines and Richard Bideaux stand out in my memory for obvious reasons. At Dick's insistence, I signed up for a subscription to Mineralogical Record. More to follow