Deceased February 19, 2004

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In Memory

Dr. James Lindall Dein died as the result of an accident in which he was struck while bicycling near his home on Feb. 19, 2004. Jim was an avid cyclist, often riding over 100 miles per week. His cycling companion, Ted Aberg, was seriously injured as well. After a 30 hour delay, the hit-and-run driver of the van which struck the pair turned himself in to the police.

Having grown up in Pelham, N.Y., Jim was a member of Psi Upsilon and a participant in the wrestling and cross-country teams at Amherst. A geology major, he engaged in major research projects in the Oxbow and at Quabbin Reservoir. Jim continued his studies at Penn State, studying superplasticity in the earth’s mantle. He also raced bicycles for the Penn State team, gaining a sixth place ranking in Pennsylvania. As a “post-doc,” he continued working in this area at UCLA.

Jim’s sister, Margaret Bradley, a Smith alumna, described her brother as truly living a “life of the mind.” He studied French and Latin, then taught himself German and was pursuing Hebrew and Hittite at the time of his death. His sister revealed a lighter side of Jim as well. He would call Margaret’s dorm at Smith: “This is an obscene telephone call. I’ll talk to anyone.” The girls staffing the bell desk all knew his voice and put him straight through.

John Keene ’72 roomed with Jim at Psi U and told of a number of anecdotes about “Deino,” one of which centers on a less than entirely sober moment analyzing the leverage potential of a fully loaded picnic table.

Mike Aberg, son of Jim’s cycling partner who was injured in the accident, considered Jim a mentor. Jim told a story on himself about his initial Amherst interview, appearing in a wrinkled shirt, explaining he did all the family ironing (his mother passed away when he was 14) but that he hadn’t had time to iron his own shirt. After UCLA, Jim had worked from Stanford Research Institute, but funding shifts and sea changes in the ’80s forced him to, as Mike put it, “reinvent himself.” He’d buy a bunch of books and go to it, teaching himself ancient Greek. A Jehovah’s Witness happened by his place one day. Jim went through the Bible in Greek and pointed out where the English translations were wrong! According to Mike, “Jim could be pedantic, but he was always interested in gaining more knowledge.”

In the 1980s, Jim, totally self-taught in computers, began writing codes for operating systems in the Silicon Valley. His interest in languages encompassed software as well as human ones. Jim had a love of music as well, singing tenor at his church and playing its organ as well. His critique of the organ’s quality led to a rebuilding of the instrument, which he greatly enjoyed playing. Jim immersed himself in everything he did: cycling, music, languages. He was 56 at the time of his death. The class extends its sympathy to his family and friends.

Brock Putnam ’70