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In Memoriam: Harry Gove
Harry Gove
It is with great sadness that the family of Harry Edmund Gove announce his passing peacefully on February 18, 2009 in his 86th year. Harry was born May 22, 1922 in Niagara Falls to Harry G. Gove and Lucia E. Gove (nee Olmstead or Olmsted!). He earned his PhD in Nuclear Physics from MIT in 1950 and ser ved as Branch Head of Nuclear Physics at Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd in Chalk River, Ontario for seven years. In 1963, he was appointed Professor of Physics at the University of Rochester, New York and served as Director of the Nuclear Structure Research Laboratory until 1988. He became Professor Emeritus of Physics at the University of Rochester in 1992 and Adjunct Professor of Physics at the University of Toronto in 1997.
Prof. Gove's research interests were in the general field of Experimental Nuclear Physics. Since 1977 his work focused on accelerator mass spectrometry. This is a technique that employs tandem electrostatic accelerators to measure ratios of long lived radioisotopes to the stable isotope of elements at extremely low values (10-15 or less). It can be used, for example, to carbon date organic artifacts as old as 60,000 years or more using milligram samples. It has many other multidisciplinary applications. It has been employed to measure the age of the Turin Shroud, the neutron fluence from the nuclear bombs dropped on Hiroshima, the age of the Meteor Crater in Arizona, the age of the initial peopling of North America and many more applications. Prior to 1977 Prof. Gove was involved in experimental nuclear physics research also using large electrostatic accelerators.
Harry's contribution to science was to advance the use of accelerator mass spectrometry in the area of carbon dating. His first book, Relic, Icon or Shroud, chronicles the challenges he and his colleagues faced in dating the Shroud of Turin. His second book, From Hiroshima to the Iceman, tells the story of how carbon dating precious artifacts helped to solve some of the mysteries of our age. He is the author or coauthor of some 235 papers of experimental nuclear physics and accelerator mass spectrometry.
Harry was a lover of opera and classical music and was most displeased when CBC Radio One changed its format. He loved to travel and to garden nurturing beautiful roses and impatiens. He also tried his hand in bee keeping which yielded gallons of delicious honey. Cremation has taken place followed by a private service. A celebration of Harry's life will be held Saturday, April 18, 2009 at 3 pm at St. Judes Anglican Church in Oakville, Ontario with details to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation. He will be missed by many friends and colleagues around the world.