I posted this on Facebook earlier, and share it here as well.



Anyone who knew Bernd Lambert doesn't need to be told how wonderful he was, and I doubt it's possible to convey to those who didn't know him. He was one of the very very few people I've ever known who loves books as much as I do, and might have an even larger library than I do, and read even more widely. He was always supremely supportive of students and junior colleagues, especially those who needed it most. He had an incredible breadth and depth of knowledge, and the only thing he enjoyed more than sharing that with others was learning new things from others. He experienced the Third Reich at first-hand as a boy. He did fieldwork in Kiribati, beginning when it took weeks on boats to get there and most recently just a couple of years ago. He started teaching courses on American Indians many years ago, even though it wasn't his area of training, because he thought it was important that such be offered by an anthropology department situated in the heart of Iroquois country -- and he did an excellent job of learning and teaching that material. He loved picking my brain and comparing notes on Native cultures and histories, and invited me to guest-lecture in his classes several times. He was shy, and prone to self-doubt, but one of the most caring and best friends one could ever have. He was proud of and devoted to his family, and loved San Francisco (and its sports teams).



I'm still having a hard time conceiving of a world without Bernd to share it with. And we owe him a dinner or two….

Frederic Gleach