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Oscar K. Huh Jr. 78, of Baton Rouge, died peacefully at his home on Tuesday, December 31, 2013 from complications of Parkinson's Disease. Oscar was born in Hackensack, N.J. on November 29, 1935 to Gloria Modesta (Mody) and Oscar K. Huh Sr. He grew up in Hasbrouck Heights N.J. where he was very active in the Boy Scouts advancing to the rank of "Eagle Scout". He graduated from Hackensack High School in 1953. Oscar studied Geology at Rutgers University, Class of 1957 where he distinguished himself by originating and serving as Rutgers' first "Scarlet Knight" mascot. He continued his studies at Penn State University where he received a Masters and Doctorate in Geology having studied the Mississippian rocks of east central Idaho. He spent 3 years in the U.S. Navy as a commissioned officer aboard the minesweeper USS Fidelity stationed out of Charleston, S.C. serving in the Mediterranean and then the Caribbean during the Bay of Pigs. He married Wanda P. Kuhn of Hershey, PA. in 1966. After graduation from Penn State in 1968, Oscar joined the Naval Oceanographic Office, Washington D.C. where he participated in the "Man in the Sea" program called "Sealab III" and also worked with the DMSP Satellite program. In 1976 Oscar joined the LSU faculty of the Coastal Studies Institute where he was founder and director of the "Earth Scan Laboratory", the first satellite receiving station of its kind in the U.S. Gulf Coast Region. He was a fellow in "The Explorer's Club" for more than 30 years. Dr. Huh was preceded in death by his daughter Melanie R. Huh Smailus and his parents. He is survived by his wife Wanda, his son-in-law, Thomas O. Smailus, brother John R. "Jack" Huh and numerous other family members. The family wishes to thank his caregiver Louella for her loving care. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to Hospice of Greater Baton Rouge, 9063 Seigen Lane, Suite A, or in memory of Oscar and his daughter Melanie Huh Smailus to the Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center, 10504 N. Oak Hills Pkwy., Baton Rouge or Shwachman-Diamond.Org. A memorial service will be held at The First United Methodist Church, 930 North Blvd., Baton Rouge, Saturday, February 15, at 11:00 am. with visitation starting at 10:00 am. A reception will follow the service. Oscar's adventuresome spirit will live on in the lives of everyone who knew him.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
6 Entries
Dear Wanda; We will miss Uncle Oscar so much. He was such an amazing person, and he influenced so very many people with his love of science and life. He would light up a room and entertain us for hours with his wonderful stories.
Patti Coyle
January 19, 2014
Dear Wanda,
I am so sorry for your loss. I graduated from LSU in 1997 with a master's degree in oceanography. If we weren't spread out all over the globe, Oscar's many admirers would overflow the service. And he deserves that. And you deserve to have a visual reminder of how much influence he had on the world as he traveled through it. I'm ever so grateful to him for being so open with us students, for introducing me to remote sensing, and then for introducing me to UW-Madison, where I still work today.
Mat Gunshor
January 14, 2014
Dear Wanda, I am so sorry that Oscar is gone, but so glad to have known him. He was a wonderful, accomplished man and I will miss him. Please let me know what I can do to help you! Lauren Lindsay
Lauren Lindsay
January 14, 2014
Wanda I am so sorry for your loss. I had the pleasure of working with Oscar at LSU. He was such a good man who was always smiling.
Andrew Roy
January 11, 2014
Dear Wanda, Dr. Huh was a great man and will be missed by many. His contributions to science are numerous and will live on. We appreciate how he took Melissa under his wing and looked out for her. Dr. Huh, and you as well, mean(t) a great deal to Melissa and our family. Bob and I are very sorry for your loss.
Robert and Shirley Seymour
January 10, 2014
Wanda,
I was so saddened to hear of Oscar's passing. To say he was an amazing, brilliant, generous, kind-hearted man, is barely beginning to describe him. I have so many funny memories of him, particularly from the LSU Geology Field Camp, where I first met your family. He always had a story for every situation, and usually they resulted in fits of laughter. I owe him a huge debt of gratitude for hiring me to work in the Earth Scan Lab, because this is what guided me to where I am today. Please know you are in our prayers, and he will never be forgotten.
My deepest sympathies,
Melissa Seymour McConnell
Melissa Seymour McConnell
January 10, 2014
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