I remember when I first met Don in 1969 I instantly liked him he was just that kind of a person he was a very likable person and he radiated that to other people we were instant friends. Even though I did not see Don very often now that he’s gone I miss him his passing has left a hole in my life. James Jasek
Sent from my iPhoneX On May 21, 2019, at 11:00 AM, [email protected] wrote: Send Texascavers mailing list submissions to [email protected] To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.texascavers.com/listinfo/texascavers or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to [email protected] You can reach the person managing the list at [email protected] When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of Texascavers digest..." Today's Topics: 1. Don Broussard passed away (William R. Elliott) 2. Re: Don Broussard passed away (Bill Steele) 3. Re: Don Broussard passed away (William R. Elliott) 4. Re: Don Broussard passed away ([email protected]) 5. Don Broussard (JAMES JASEK) 6. Bill Russell (Jim Kennedy) 7. Don Broussard (Mimi Jasek) 8. Re: Don Broussard passed away ([email protected]) 9. Further news on Don Broussard (William R. Elliott) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Mon, 20 May 2019 17:04:26 -0500 From: "William R. Elliott" <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Subject: [Texascavers] Don Broussard passed away Message-ID: <CACOkPvnNgHD2cFnukKPzYt4PUv=jmtv17vtka6qcb7korls...@mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" *Don Broussard* August 17, 1948 – May 16?, 2019 Famous caver, Don Broussard, from the Austin, Texas area, passed away probably on Thursday, May 16. His close friend, David Honea, had visited Don May 6-10, and they usually spoke on the phone on Sundays, but David could not reach Don on May 19. Nancy Weaver was asked to check on him, and she found him deceased in his home between Wimberley and Driftwood, Texas. The cause is not known at this time. Don was diabetic, but he was in good health lately. Don was an active caver who went on many hard caving trips from about 1967 through the 1990s. He continued to be part of the support crew for major expeditions to Huautla and other destinations until recently. Don was always cheerful and helpful. His trademark was to walk up and say “Good morning!” even if it was late at night. Everyone noticed how unassuming, modest, and quiet he was. His good friend, John Fish, said, “Don was a faithful helper, a faithful friend.” Don and David Honea were friends in Houston schools from 1st through 12th grade. Don went to the University of Arkansas, where he started caving, then to the University of Texas, where he joined the UT Grotto caving club. He, David, and Bill Elliott were caver pals and roommates in 1968-1969. In the summer of 1969 Don worked with Bill Elliott and Jim McIntire in the Sierra de El Abra, mapping and making cavefish collections in many caves for Robert W. Mitchell’s cavefish research. After that he worked for John Fish from 1971-1973 in the El Abra as part of John’s dissertation work on hydrogeology. Most of Don’s work in the El Abra is documented in AMCS Bulletin 14 by John Fish, Karst Hydrology of the Sierra de El Abra, Mexico (2004) and AMCS Bulletin 26 by Bill Elliott, The Astyanax Caves of Mexico (2018). Don was declared the “King of the El Abra” because he went in more caves for science and mapping than anyone else. Friends presented him with a free copy of the cavefish bulletin in 2018 and had a lunch in his honor. Peter Sprouse said, “The passing of the first generation of AMCS cavers, those who were active in the 1960s, continues with the loss of Don Broussard. Don was very involved in the exploration of the Sierra de El Abra and Aquismón in San Luis Potosí in his early caving years. In the 1980s Don led efforts to explore and survey the Crevice in the deepest part of Sótano de las Golondrinas. Has was also active in explorations in the Huautla area of Oaxaca and the Purificación karst of Tamaulipas. ¡Vaya con Oztotl, Don!” John Fish remembers the time when he and Don returned to Ciudad Valles after a crawlway trip in Sótano de la Tinaja. They emerged covered in mud. When they returned to their rented room Don walked straight to the concrete shower stall and proceeded to wash down his muddy clothes before stripping and scrubbing himself down to the skin. That way he got all the mud off in one session. Bill Elliott is working on an index to Don’s name in all of the AMCS newsletters and maps he participated in. His name was on 47 maps in San Luis Potosi and Tamaulipas alone. Don was involved with mapping Sótano del Venadito, Tamps., from 1969 to 1998. He led the re-survey of the cave from 1989-1998, the longest project in the Sierra de El Abra. Don’s family originally was from the Houston area and Louisiana. He is survived by his mother, Madeline Skinner of Brenham, Texas; sister, Linda Broussard, Los Angeles, CA; nephew, Morgan Broussard, Houston area; and cousin, Wendell, Smithville, TX. David Honea has notified the family and will be assisting them in making arrangements. A full obituary with more details will be posted later and in the next AMCS Activities Newsletter. Many friends will be writing tributes to Don. We ask that cavers be respectful of the life of Don Broussard, and please do not post critical or embarrassing remarks. We all miss our dear friend, Don! Contributors: William R. Elliott, John Fish, David Honea, Logan McNatt, Peter Sprouse, Nancy Weaver. *William R. (Bill) Elliott* *[email protected] <[email protected]>* 573-291-5093 cell -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://lists.texascavers.com/private/texascavers/attachments/20190520/ec2c3a80/attachment-0001.html> ------------------------------ Message: 2 Date: Mon, 20 May 2019 17:33:00 -0500 From: Bill Steele <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Texascavers] Don Broussard passed away Message-ID: <calcxobdp6royrgecejdwdwad-duhc4hchv9jrksvyrz2wg8...@mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" I first met Don Broussard in the fall of 1971 as I passed through Austin on my way to Mexico. That was almost forty-eight years ago. He was two months to the day older than me, something I mentioned many times. My older friend. Don and I did a lot of caving together. It wasn’t just caving, either. Don was an active member of The Explorers Club. He joined in 1984 and was made a fellow upon joining. That’s a great honor. It says that you have made a lasting contribution to some realm of exploration. He already had, 35 years ago. Don had the greatest tenure in caving at Sistema Huautla. He first went there in 1969 and the last time was in 2018. He was on some epic trips. He was there when we started the climb up to Anthodite Hall. He was there when we discovered the Lower Gorge of Sotano de San Agustin. He was trapped underground 500 meters deep with us in that same cave for four days in 1977 and had run out of insulin. He was there in 1987 when we connected Nita Nanta to Sistema Huautla, making it the world’s second deepest cave at the time. Maybe “he was there” sums it up. More often than not, Don was there. In Texas Don was a mainstay in the exploration of our longest cave, Honey Creek Cave. And our third longest cave, whose name I shall not mention by request of the landowner, Don camped on the surface there last month while cave divers camped underground, far from the entrance, knowing Don was in support on the surface. He was always to be counted on. And he did so calmly with a smile. C. William "Bill" Steele 500 Kingston Drive Irving, Texas 75061 USA [email protected] [email protected] cell 214-770-4712 On Mon, May 20, 2019 at 5:05 PM William R. Elliott <[email protected]> wrote: > *Don Broussard* > > August 17, 1948 – May 16?, 2019 > > Famous caver, Don Broussard, from the Austin, Texas area, passed away > probably on Thursday, May 16. His close friend, David Honea, had visited > Don May 6-10, and they usually spoke on the phone on Sundays, but David > could not reach Don on May 19. Nancy Weaver was asked to check on him, and > she found him deceased in his home between Wimberley and Driftwood, Texas. > The cause is not known at this time. Don was diabetic, but he was in good > health lately. > > Don was an active caver who went on many hard caving trips from about 1967 > through the 1990s. He continued to be part of the support crew for major > expeditions to Huautla and other destinations until recently. Don was > always cheerful and helpful. His trademark was to walk up and say “Good > morning!” even if it was late at night. Everyone noticed how unassuming, > modest, and quiet he was. His good friend, John Fish, said, “Don was a > faithful helper, a faithful friend.” > > Don and David Honea were friends in Houston schools from 1st through 12th > grade. Don went to the University of Arkansas, where he started caving, > then to the University of Texas, where he joined the UT Grotto caving club. > He, David, and Bill Elliott were caver pals and roommates in 1968-1969. In > the summer of 1969 Don worked with Bill Elliott and Jim McIntire in the > Sierra de El Abra, mapping and making cavefish collections in many caves > for Robert W. Mitchell’s cavefish research. After that he worked for John > Fish from 1971-1973 in the El Abra as part of John’s dissertation work on > hydrogeology. Most of Don’s work in the El Abra is documented in AMCS > Bulletin 14 by John Fish, Karst Hydrology of the Sierra de El Abra, Mexico > (2004) and AMCS Bulletin 26 by Bill Elliott, The Astyanax Caves of Mexico > (2018). Don was declared the “King of the El Abra” because he went in more > caves for science and mapping than anyone else. Friends presented him with > a free copy of the cavefish bulletin in 2018 and had a lunch in his honor. > > Peter Sprouse said, “The passing of the first generation of AMCS cavers, > those who were active in the 1960s, continues with the loss of Don > Broussard. Don was very involved in the exploration of the Sierra de El > Abra and Aquismón in San Luis Potosí in his early caving years. In the > 1980s Don led efforts to explore and survey the Crevice in the deepest part > of Sótano de las Golondrinas. Has was also active in explorations in the > Huautla area of Oaxaca and the Purificación karst of Tamaulipas. ¡Vaya con > Oztotl, Don!” > > John Fish remembers the time when he and Don returned to Ciudad Valles > after a crawlway trip in Sótano de la Tinaja. They emerged covered in mud. > When they returned to their rented room Don walked straight to the concrete > shower stall and proceeded to wash down his muddy clothes before stripping > and scrubbing himself down to the skin. That way he got all the mud off in > one session. > > Bill Elliott is working on an index to Don’s name in all of the AMCS > newsletters and maps he participated in. His name was on 47 maps in San > Luis Potosi and Tamaulipas alone. Don was involved with mapping Sótano del > Venadito, Tamps., from 1969 to 1998. He led the re-survey of the cave from > 1989-1998, the longest project in the Sierra de El Abra. > > Don’s family originally was from the Houston area and Louisiana. He is > survived by his mother, Madeline Skinner of Brenham, Texas; sister, Linda > Broussard, Los Angeles, CA; nephew, Morgan Broussard, Houston area; and > cousin, Wendell, Smithville, TX. David Honea has notified the family and > will be assisting them in making arrangements. > > A full obituary with more details will be posted later and in the next > AMCS Activities Newsletter. Many friends will be writing tributes to Don. > We ask that cavers be respectful of the life of Don Broussard, and please > do not post critical or embarrassing remarks. We all miss our dear friend, > Don! > > Contributors: William R. Elliott, John Fish, David Honea, Logan McNatt, > Peter Sprouse, Nancy Weaver. > > *William R. (Bill) Elliott* > > *[email protected] <[email protected]>* > > 573-291-5093 cell > _______________________________________________ > Texascavers mailing list | http://texascavers.com > [email protected] | Archives: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > http://lists.texascavers.com/listinfo/texascavers > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://lists.texascavers.com/private/texascavers/attachments/20190520/88ca06d9/attachment-0001.html> ------------------------------ Message: 3 Date: Mon, 20 May 2019 18:29:24 -0500 From: "William R. Elliott" <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Texascavers] Don Broussard passed away Message-ID: <CACOkPvnWrM+GjzLHPNoyfsJX2DNpcO97gg8FyqfFimpsHiFE=a...@mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" Thank you, Bill Steele, for saying that about Don Broussard. He was a tough old caver, but such a sweet guy. *William R. (Bill) Elliott* *[email protected] <[email protected]>* 573-291-5093 cell On Mon, May 20, 2019 at 5:33 PM Bill Steele <[email protected]> wrote: > I first met Don Broussard in the fall of 1971 as I passed through Austin > on my way to Mexico. That was almost forty-eight years ago. He was two > months to the day older than me, something I mentioned many times. My older > friend. Don and I did a lot of caving together. > > It wasn’t just caving, either. Don was an active member of The Explorers > Club. He joined in 1984 and was made a fellow upon joining. That’s a great > honor. It says that you have made a lasting contribution to some realm of > exploration. He already had, 35 years ago. > > Don had the greatest tenure in caving at Sistema Huautla. He first went > there in 1969 and the last time was in 2018. He was on some epic trips. He > was there when we started the climb up to Anthodite Hall. He was there when > we discovered the Lower Gorge of Sotano de San Agustin. He was trapped > underground 500 meters deep with us in that same cave for four days in 1977 > and had run out of insulin. He was there in 1987 when we connected Nita > Nanta to Sistema Huautla, making it the world’s second deepest cave at the > time. Maybe “he was there” sums it up. More often than not, Don was there. > > In Texas Don was a mainstay in the exploration of our longest cave, Honey > Creek Cave. And our third longest cave, whose name I shall not mention by > request of the landowner, Don camped on the surface there last month while > cave divers camped underground, far from the entrance, knowing Don was in > support on the surface. He was always to be counted on. And he did so > calmly with a smile. > > C. William "Bill" Steele > 500 Kingston Drive > Irving, Texas 75061 USA > [email protected] > [email protected] > cell 214-770-4712 > > > On Mon, May 20, 2019 at 5:05 PM William R. Elliott <[email protected]> > wrote: > >> *Don Broussard* >> >> August 17, 1948 – May 16?, 2019 >> >> Famous caver, Don Broussard, from the Austin, Texas area, passed away >> probably on Thursday, May 16. His close friend, David Honea, had visited >> Don May 6-10, and they usually spoke on the phone on Sundays, but David >> could not reach Don on May 19. Nancy Weaver was asked to check on him, and >> she found him deceased in his home between Wimberley and Driftwood, Texas. >> The cause is not known at this time. Don was diabetic, but he was in good >> health lately. >> >> Don was an active caver who went on many hard caving trips from about >> 1967 through the 1990s. He continued to be part of the support crew for >> major expeditions to Huautla and other destinations until recently. Don was >> always cheerful and helpful. His trademark was to walk up and say “Good >> morning!” even if it was late at night. Everyone noticed how unassuming, >> modest, and quiet he was. His good friend, John Fish, said, “Don was a >> faithful helper, a faithful friend.” >> >> Don and David Honea were friends in Houston schools from 1st through 12th >> grade. Don went to the University of Arkansas, where he started caving, >> then to the University of Texas, where he joined the UT Grotto caving club. >> He, David, and Bill Elliott were caver pals and roommates in 1968-1969. In >> the summer of 1969 Don worked with Bill Elliott and Jim McIntire in the >> Sierra de El Abra, mapping and making cavefish collections in many caves >> for Robert W. Mitchell’s cavefish research. After that he worked for John >> Fish from 1971-1973 in the El Abra as part of John’s dissertation work on >> hydrogeology. Most of Don’s work in the El Abra is documented in AMCS >> Bulletin 14 by John Fish, Karst Hydrology of the Sierra de El Abra, Mexico >> (2004) and AMCS Bulletin 26 by Bill Elliott, The Astyanax Caves of Mexico >> (2018). Don was declared the “King of the El Abra” because he went in more >> caves for science and mapping than anyone else. Friends presented him with >> a free copy of the cavefish bulletin in 2018 and had a lunch in his honor. >> >> Peter Sprouse said, “The passing of the first generation of AMCS cavers, >> those who were active in the 1960s, continues with the loss of Don >> Broussard. Don was very involved in the exploration of the Sierra de El >> Abra and Aquismón in San Luis Potosí in his early caving years. In the >> 1980s Don led efforts to explore and survey the Crevice in the deepest part >> of Sótano de las Golondrinas. Has was also active in explorations in the >> Huautla area of Oaxaca and the Purificación karst of Tamaulipas. ¡Vaya con >> Oztotl, Don!” >> >> John Fish remembers the time when he and Don returned to Ciudad Valles >> after a crawlway trip in Sótano de la Tinaja. They emerged covered in mud. >> When they returned to their rented room Don walked straight to the concrete >> shower stall and proceeded to wash down his muddy clothes before stripping >> and scrubbing himself down to the skin. That way he got all the mud off in >> one session. >> >> Bill Elliott is working on an index to Don’s name in all of the AMCS >> newsletters and maps he participated in. His name was on 47 maps in San >> Luis Potosi and Tamaulipas alone. Don was involved with mapping Sótano del >> Venadito, Tamps., from 1969 to 1998. He led the re-survey of the cave from >> 1989-1998, the longest project in the Sierra de El Abra. >> >> Don’s family originally was from the Houston area and Louisiana. He is >> survived by his mother, Madeline Skinner of Brenham, Texas; sister, Linda >> Broussard, Los Angeles, CA; nephew, Morgan Broussard, Houston area; and >> cousin, Wendell, Smithville, TX. David Honea has notified the family and >> will be assisting them in making arrangements. >> >> A full obituary with more details will be posted later and in the next >> AMCS Activities Newsletter. Many friends will be writing tributes to Don. >> We ask that cavers be respectful of the life of Don Broussard, and please >> do not post critical or embarrassing remarks. We all miss our dear friend, >> Don! >> >> Contributors: William R. Elliott, John Fish, David Honea, Logan McNatt, >> Peter Sprouse, Nancy Weaver. >> >> *William R. (Bill) Elliott* >> >> *[email protected] <[email protected]>* >> >> 573-291-5093 cell >> _______________________________________________ >> Texascavers mailing list | http://texascavers.com >> [email protected] | Archives: >> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ >> http://lists.texascavers.com/listinfo/texascavers >> > _______________________________________________ > Texascavers mailing list | http://texascavers.com > [email protected] | Archives: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > http://lists.texascavers.com/listinfo/texascavers > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://lists.texascavers.com/private/texascavers/attachments/20190520/14deb8f8/attachment-0001.html> ------------------------------ Message: 4 Date: Mon, 20 May 2019 20:03:16 -0500 From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Texascavers] Don Broussard passed away Message-ID: <[email protected]> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed Recollections of Don Broussard Don Broussard was a frequent caving companion of mine for about 20 years in the 1980s and ‘90s. For most of those years we were also neighbors in Driftwood, Texas. Don was active, even legendary, in Mexican caving, including long stints in both the Sierra de El Abra and in Huautla, the latter as recently as 2018. Don was one of the principal explorers of the Crevice at the bottom of Sótano de las Golondrinas, which extends the famous pit to over 500 m deep. He was also active in Texas, making many survey trips into Honey Creek and later supporting diving efforts there, among other projects. One particularly memorable trip with Don in Huautla comes to mind. In 1987, while coming out of Camp IV in Sótano de San Agustín after the historic connection with Nita Nanta, Don injured his back and needed to bivouac near the entrance. Bill Steele stayed with him. The following day Doug Powell and I went in to help carry his gear. While we waited for Don to climb out, the three of us investigated a high ledge just inside the cave. We probed breakdown following the air, and eventually found an obscure way through the collapse into a totally independent deep route, unknown and unsuspected for over 20 years. That passage, the Fool’s Day Extension, reconnected about 500 meters lower, but provided a much improved route to the bottom that played a pivotal role in future expeditions. So while Don didn’t discover that passage himself, we wouldn’t have found it without him. Don had several close calls while caving and became legendary for those as well. He survived free diving into a pocket of bad air and passing out in the Sierra de El Abra, a plane crash in the Sierra de Guatemala, and getting short-roped in Sótano de San Agustín, causing him to nearly run out of insulin (Don was diabetic), to name a few. We began to talk about the nine lives of Don Broussard because he survived so many potentially fatal scenarios. Don was a diminutive man who lived a simple life, but made a big impact on caving. He will be missed. Mark Minton [email protected] > On 2019-05-20 18:29, William R. Elliott wrote: > Thank you, Bill Steele, for saying that about Don Broussard. He was a > tough old caver, but such a sweet guy. > > WILLIAM R. (BILL) ELLIOTT > > [email protected] > > 573-291-5093 cell > > On Mon, May 20, 2019 at 5:33 PM Bill Steele <[email protected]> > wrote: > >> I first met Don Broussard in the fall of 1971 as I passed through >> Austin on my way to Mexico. That was almost forty-eight years ago. >> He was two months to the day older than me, something I mentioned >> many times. My older friend. Don and I did a lot of caving together. >> >> It wasn’t just caving, either. Don was an active member of The >> Explorers Club. He joined in 1984 and was made a fellow upon >> joining. That’s a great honor. It says that you have made a >> lasting contribution to some realm of exploration. He already had, >> 35 years ago. >> >> Don had the greatest tenure in caving at Sistema Huautla. He first >> went there in 1969 and the last time was in 2018. He was on some >> epic trips. He was there when we started the climb up to Anthodite >> Hall. He was there when we discovered the Lower Gorge of Sotano de >> San Agustin. He was trapped underground 500 meters deep with us in >> that same cave for four days in 1977 and had run out of insulin. He >> was there in 1987 when we connected Nita Nanta to Sistema Huautla, >> making it the world’s second deepest cave at the time. Maybe “he >> was there” sums it up. More often than not, Don was there. >> >> In Texas Don was a mainstay in the exploration of our longest cave, >> Honey Creek Cave. And our third longest cave, whose name I shall not >> mention by request of the landowner, Don camped on the surface there >> last month while cave divers camped underground, far from the >> entrance, knowing Don was in support on the surface. He was always >> to be counted on. And he did so calmly with a smile. >> >> C. William "Bill" Steele >> 500 Kingston Drive >> Irving, Texas 75061 USA >> [email protected] >> [email protected] >> cell 214-770-4712 >> >> On Mon, May 20, 2019 at 5:05 PM William R. Elliott >> <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> DON BROUSSARD >>> >>> August 17, 1948 – May 16?, 2019 >>> >>> Famous caver, Don Broussard, from the Austin, Texas area, passed >>> away probably on Thursday, May 16. His close friend, David Honea, >>> had visited Don May 6-10, and they usually spoke on the phone on >>> Sundays, but David could not reach Don on May 19. Nancy Weaver was >>> asked to check on him, and she found him deceased in his home >>> between Wimberley and Driftwood, Texas. The cause is not known at >>> this time. Don was diabetic, but he was in good health lately. >>> >>> Don was an active caver who went on many hard caving trips from >>> about 1967 through the 1990s. He continued to be part of the >>> support crew for major expeditions to Huautla and other >>> destinations until recently. Don was always cheerful and helpful. >>> His trademark was to walk up and say “Good morning!” even if >>> it was late at night. Everyone noticed how unassuming, modest, and >>> quiet he was. His good friend, John Fish, said, “Don was a >>> faithful helper, a faithful friend.” >>> >>> Don and David Honea were friends in Houston schools from 1st >>> through 12th grade. Don went to the University of Arkansas, where >>> he started caving, then to the University of Texas, where he >>> joined the UT Grotto caving club. He, David, and Bill Elliott were >>> caver pals and roommates in 1968-1969. In the summer of 1969 Don >>> worked with Bill Elliott and Jim McIntire in the Sierra de El >>> Abra, mapping and making cavefish collections in many caves for >>> Robert W. Mitchell’s cavefish research. After that he worked for >>> John Fish from 1971-1973 in the El Abra as part of John’s >>> dissertation work on hydrogeology. Most of Don’s work in the El >>> Abra is documented in AMCS Bulletin 14 by John Fish, Karst >>> Hydrology of the Sierra de El Abra, Mexico (2004) and AMCS >>> Bulletin 26 by Bill Elliott, The Astyanax Caves of Mexico (2018). >>> Don was declared the “King of the El Abra” because he went in >>> more caves for science and mapping than anyone else. Friends >>> presented him with a free copy of the cavefish bulletin in 2018 >>> and had a lunch in his honor. >>> >>> Peter Sprouse said, “The passing of the first generation of AMCS >>> cavers, those who were active in the 1960s, continues with the >>> loss of Don Broussard. Don was very involved in the exploration of >>> the Sierra de El Abra and Aquismón in San Luis Potosí in his >>> early caving years. In the 1980s Don led efforts to explore and >>> survey the Crevice in the deepest part of Sótano de las >>> Golondrinas. Has was also active in explorations in the Huautla >>> area of Oaxaca and the Purificación karst of Tamaulipas. ¡Vaya >>> con Oztotl, Don!” >>> >>> John Fish remembers the time when he and Don returned to Ciudad >>> Valles after a crawlway trip in Sótano de la Tinaja. They emerged >>> covered in mud. When they returned to their rented room Don walked >>> straight to the concrete shower stall and proceeded to wash down >>> his muddy clothes before stripping and scrubbing himself down to >>> the skin. That way he got all the mud off in one session. >>> >>> Bill Elliott is working on an index to Don’s name in all of the >>> AMCS newsletters and maps he participated in. His name was on 47 >>> maps in San Luis Potosi and Tamaulipas alone. Don was involved >>> with mapping Sótano del Venadito, Tamps., from 1969 to 1998. He >>> led the re-survey of the cave from 1989-1998, the longest project >>> in the Sierra de El Abra. >>> >>> Don’s family originally was from the Houston area and Louisiana. >>> He is survived by his mother, Madeline Skinner of Brenham, Texas; >>> sister, Linda Broussard, Los Angeles, CA; nephew, Morgan >>> Broussard, Houston area; and cousin, Wendell, Smithville, TX. >>> David Honea has notified the family and will be assisting them in >>> making arrangements. >>> >>> A full obituary with more details will be posted later and in the >>> next AMCS Activities Newsletter. Many friends will be writing >>> tributes to Don. We ask that cavers be respectful of the life of >>> Don Broussard, and please do not post critical or embarrassing >>> remarks. We all miss our dear friend, Don! >>> >>> Contributors: William R. Elliott, John Fish, David Honea, Logan >>> McNatt, Peter Sprouse, Nancy Weaver. >>> >>> WILLIAM R. (BILL) ELLIOTT >>> >>> [email protected] ------------------------------ Message: 5 Date: Mon, 20 May 2019 21:16:53 -0500 From: JAMES JASEK <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Subject: [Texascavers] Don Broussard Message-ID: <[email protected]> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Wow, what a terrible shock. Don and I were good friends. Don was a really nice guy. I first met Don in 1969, on a trip to Carrizal and caved with with here in Texas. I will miss him. James Jasek ------------------------------ Message: 6 Date: Mon, 20 May 2019 22:31:21 -0500 From: Jim Kennedy <[email protected]> To: CaveTex <[email protected]> Subject: [Texascavers] Bill Russell Message-ID: <[email protected]> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Posted at the request of Julie Jenkins: The Hem of His Pants by Lauren Ross Water from the Barton Springs Edwards aquifer bubbles from five spring openings: Parthenia, in the bottom of the swimming pool, Eliza, Sunken Gardens, Upper Barton Spring and Cold Springs. The elevation of these springs is just above the bottom of the Colorado River. That spring opening elevation is not an accident. Millions of years ago, before the Colorado River eroded her banks to their current level, spring openings were higher. You can still find relic spring openings along the greenbelt above the pool. One of them is Airmen’s Cave. When I think about the Airmen’s Cave opening, my hands make a shape the size of a football. It is bigger than that, wider than my shoulders, but not nearly high enough to accommodate a knee swing under the hip to crawl. Entering Airman’s Cave requires a full-body stretch, arms reaching forward, and a slither. After about fifteen feet, the passage opens up to accommodate a crawl. This low, wide passage extends miles. I am not naturally inclined toward caving. I shiver at the thought of cramped entrances, pulsing clumps of daddy-long-legs inches from my face. My mind goes toward scorpions and rattlesnakes. Yeah, rattlesnakes in caves are a thing. One night Bill and I entered Live Oak Cave. We were about ten feet into a wide, low passage when I heard a buzz. I’ve not heard that sound many times in my life. I am surprised that I knew what it was. My body responded before my brain digested sensation into a thought. Bill was behind me, but I climbed straight over his small, wiry body to be the first of us out of the cave. It has been part of my work, the most important part, to provide engineering support to protect Barton Springs from the nasty things in storm runoff, wastewater, oil and gas pipelines, and highway spills. To protect it from towering mounds of sediment loosened when construction bulldozes the juniper and live oak. So, despite claustrophobia and a healthy respect for rattlesnakes, I have experienced from the inside, the aquifer that feeds the miracle of clear, flowing water bubbling into the heart of Austin. Bill Russell and Jules Jenkins were my guides. Bill and Jules outfitted me with a hardhat and headlamp, packed a few of their dozen extra AA batteries into my backpack. They coached me on the choreography of twisting my body through Breach Birth in Blowing Sink Cave. And when my core muscles weren’t able to slither through that narrow opening into Airmen’s cave, my stretched-out fingers gripped the thick hem seam of Bill’s pants. He pulled me through. That was a single moment, and I am just one of hundreds, maybe thousands, of people who have gone someplace they never would have gone but for Bill Russell. Please sign this petition to name Blowing Sink Preserve after Bill: http://chng.it/RjcNc2VmCD Mobile email from my iPhone ------------------------------ Message: 7 Date: Mon, 20 May 2019 23:01:09 -0500 From: Mimi Jasek <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Subject: [Texascavers] Don Broussard Message-ID: <[email protected]> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 When one knows a friend is ill and perhaps not long for this physical world, it is hard enough to say goodby and try to find peace with their passing. Our caving community has had to do this too often this past year. Now, another integral part of our Texas caving community is suddenly gone for a reason unknown, and this is a blow much harder to understand and absorb. Don was one of those ever present members who made you feel good whenever you were with him. I never caved with him, but always felt welcomed when we would meet at various caving events over the past 46 years. That easy smile and quiet interest just pulled you in. My husband James Jasek and I were out eating when a friend called to check up on us, and asked if we had heard the news. Totally shocked, I pulled up e-mail on my phone for us to learn any details that were available. Then came the memories. For me, the main memories of him that came back the minute I heard and read this sad news were not mine, though, but those of my younger sister Jane Laurens. She and her friends in the short lived Temple Cavers grotto had gotten me into caving, and within a year had graduated and eventually moved on to various university grottos. Jane ended up at UT at Austin, and joined the UT Grotto. Don seemed to be one of her main mentors in this group, and she would often mention him when talking about her continuing caving exploits south of me. He was always ready with help or advice, no matter how small or insignificant the question or problem seemed to be, and among others in the grotto, seemed to look after her! As a loving big sister, this made a lasting impression that is there to this day. I called her to give her the sad news once my evening at home settled down, and she was shocked and saddened. Her response was “Oh man, one of the really good, sweet guys is gone!” Our sentiments align. Jane sends her regards to all Don’s big network of caving family and friends, as do James and I. We have lost another great one. With deep respect and heartfelt memories of a sweet, wonderful, but full life lost. Mimi Jasek Sent from my iPhone ------------------------------ Message: 8 Date: Tue, 21 May 2019 10:19:30 -0400 From: <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [Texascavers] Don Broussard passed away Message-ID: <[email protected]> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" What a wonderful man! I called him dapper Don because despite the mud and blood he always looked so preternaturally neat and clean. I will never forget the wonderful post convention (94?) trip to Mexico that he organized and led. We were a somewhat fractious group, but Don kept us all on an even keel with his calm wise counsel. We visited Hoya de las Guaguas, Las Pozas, and El Sotano. What a blast! I still have a 300 foot piece of that rope that I cherish but will probably never use again. Thereafter, whenever I visited Texas I was always welcome at his home. Sleazel Ps: On a lighter note, I just attended the 68th annual SERA Cave Carnival in Alabama. You will find a jocular writeup of that and related adventures here: https://weazelwise.com/2019/05/19/the-wedding-chapel/ Pps: Dear Nancy: Thanks for all that you do. There are worse way to exit than to see your smiling face at the end. Don and I are almost the same age, so I’m just glad I survived your visit! From: Texascavers <[email protected]> On Behalf Of William R. Elliott Sent: Monday, May 20, 2019 6:04 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [Texascavers] Don Broussard passed away Don Broussard August 17, 1948 – May 16?, 2019 Famous caver, Don Broussard, from the Austin, Texas area, passed away probably on Thursday, May 16. His close friend, David Honea, had visited Don May 6-10, and they usually spoke on the phone on Sundays, but David could not reach Don on May 19. Nancy Weaver was asked to check on him, and she found him deceased in his home between Wimberley and Driftwood, Texas. The cause is not known at this time. Don was diabetic, but he was in good health lately. Don was an active caver who went on many hard caving trips from about 1967 through the 1990s. He continued to be part of the support crew for major expeditions to Huautla and other destinations until recently. Don was always cheerful and helpful. His trademark was to walk up and say “Good morning!” even if it was late at night. Everyone noticed how unassuming, modest, and quiet he was. His good friend, John Fish, said, “Don was a faithful helper, a faithful friend.” Don and David Honea were friends in Houston schools from 1st through 12th grade. Don went to the University of Arkansas, where he started caving, then to the University of Texas, where he joined the UT Grotto caving club. He, David, and Bill Elliott were caver pals and roommates in 1968-1969. In the summer of 1969 Don worked with Bill Elliott and Jim McIntire in the Sierra de El Abra, mapping and making cavefish collections in many caves for Robert W. Mitchell’s cavefish research. After that he worked for John Fish from 1971-1973 in the El Abra as part of John’s dissertation work on hydrogeology. Most of Don’s work in the El Abra is documented in AMCS Bulletin 14 by John Fish, Karst Hydrology of the Sierra de El Abra, Mexico (2004) and AMCS Bulletin 26 by Bill Elliott, The Astyanax Caves of Mexico (2018). Don was declared the “King of the El Abra” because he went in more caves for science and mapping than anyone else. Friends presented him with a free copy of the cavefish bulletin in 2018 and had a lunch in his honor. Peter Sprouse said, “The passing of the first generation of AMCS cavers, those who were active in the 1960s, continues with the loss of Don Broussard. Don was very involved in the exploration of the Sierra de El Abra and Aquismón in San Luis Potosí in his early caving years. In the 1980s Don led efforts to explore and survey the Crevice in the deepest part of Sótano de las Golondrinas. Has was also active in explorations in the Huautla area of Oaxaca and the Purificación karst of Tamaulipas. ¡Vaya con Oztotl, Don!” John Fish remembers the time when he and Don returned to Ciudad Valles after a crawlway trip in Sótano de la Tinaja. They emerged covered in mud. When they returned to their rented room Don walked straight to the concrete shower stall and proceeded to wash down his muddy clothes before stripping and scrubbing himself down to the skin. That way he got all the mud off in one session. Bill Elliott is working on an index to Don’s name in all of the AMCS newsletters and maps he participated in. His name was on 47 maps in San Luis Potosi and Tamaulipas alone. Don was involved with mapping Sótano del Venadito, Tamps., from 1969 to 1998. He led the re-survey of the cave from 1989-1998, the longest project in the Sierra de El Abra. Don’s family originally was from the Houston area and Louisiana. He is survived by his mother, Madeline Skinner of Brenham, Texas; sister, Linda Broussard, Los Angeles, CA; nephew, Morgan Broussard, Houston area; and cousin, Wendell, Smithville, TX. David Honea has notified the family and will be assisting them in making arrangements. A full obituary with more details will be posted later and in the next AMCS Activities Newsletter. Many friends will be writing tributes to Don. We ask that cavers be respectful of the life of Don Broussard, and please do not post critical or embarrassing remarks. We all miss our dear friend, Don! Contributors: William R. Elliott, John Fish, David Honea, Logan McNatt, Peter Sprouse, Nancy Weaver. William R. (Bill) Elliott [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> 573-291-5093 cell -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://lists.texascavers.com/private/texascavers/attachments/20190521/2c3b3254/attachment-0001.html> ------------------------------ Message: 9 Date: Tue, 21 May 2019 10:12:11 -0500 From: "William R. Elliott" <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Subject: [Texascavers] Further news on Don Broussard Message-ID: <CACOkPvkgL=dgoxnbgxd0gpdume92cdq7-2v84mwhqd6n1yo...@mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" David Honea in Colorado says he just got a report that Don Broussard's cause of death was determined to be heart failure. I have no details, but we are thankful to know. Thank you David. *William R. (Bill) Elliott* *[email protected] <[email protected]>* 573-291-5093 cell -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://lists.texascavers.com/private/texascavers/attachments/20190521/c4662aa8/attachment-0001.html> ------------------------------ Subject: Digest Footer _______________________________________________ Texascavers mailing list [email protected] http://lists.texascavers.com/listinfo/texascavers ------------------------------ End of Texascavers Digest, Vol 59, Issue 17 ******************************************* _______________________________________________ Texascavers mailing list | http://texascavers.com [email protected] | Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ http://lists.texascavers.com/listinfo/texascavers
