Well gexers, I bear sad news. Fellow gexer Sean McKeown passed away last Thursday from complications related to his heart transplant a couple years ago. Sean was in his 50s, much too young to go so soon.
Sean McKeown was a good friend to me. I would like to tspeak to all of you as gexers a little bit about our relationship - he was my gecko mentor. I first spoke to him on the phone in 1993 while he was the curator at the Fresno Zoo here in Northern California, USA. I had just gotten a pair of P.m. grandis and was anxious to learn all about them and anything he would tell me about Phelsuma (Day Geckos). He was truly fascinated with Phelsuma as I continue to be. He called them the "jewels of the Indian Ocean," and never a truer statement was made! He wrote the beautiful "General Care and Maintenance of Day Geckos" and had spent time observing and collecting them in Madagascar. He also co-wrote "The General Care and Maintenace of Tokays and Related Geckos," and countless other gecko and reptile papers. During his latter years he was on the staff of Reptiles magazine. Sean was a little gruff and short with me when I first spoke with him as I'm sure he had phone calls like that all the time. I knew I would be dedicated to geckos and particularly Phelsuma, however, he did not at that time. I am much the same these days when folks call me and want to start a "breeding program." LOL! I had kept in contact with Sean ever since that time. I got to meet him for the first time at the International Gecko Society first symposium in Palm Springs, CA in 1993. Since that time he spent countless hours talking to me about geckos, editing my papers on geckos and showing me how to do a good job with my geckos, especially my Phelsuma. A few weeks ago we were discussing how we could help gexers with tips and solutions for their gecko health care issues for one of my upcoming gecko projects, which he was to critique, as usual. His enthusiasm and knowledge will be missed. Finally, Sean was particularly fond of Phelsuma klemmeri, the Neon or Yellow-Headed Day gecko. That man had excellent taste! If you haven't seen a P. klemmeri, you are truly deprived. They are indeed stunning, with yellow/greenish heads, and blue and black lengthwise down their bodies. My vision of Sean now is in fields of Phelsuma, surrounded by klemmeri. I hope you all enjoyed reading about our special friendship. A mentor is a special person to have, I hope you have the honor some day. Sincerely, Julie Bergman http://www.geckoranch.com GGA lifetime member ########################################################################### THE GLOBAL GECKO ASSOCIATION LISTSERV WebSite: www.gekkota.com Archive: [EMAIL PROTECTED]/ The GGA takes no responsibility for the contents of these postings. ###########################################################################
