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September 28, 1953 – May 28, 2023
Albert John Highe, loving husband to Shelia, passed away from a long and courageous battle with Muscular Dystrophy (Kennedy's disease), on Sunday, May 28, 2023.
Born on September 28, 1953 to Stanley Highe and Lottie Bienkowski (both deceased), Albert grew up in Detroit MI surrounded by a large family: Stanley Highe (deceased) (Carla), Tedd Highe (deceased), Veronica Bartlett (deceased), George Highe (Debbie), and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
Albert graduated with a BS in Chemistry from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. He spent his junior year studying abroad where he became fluent in German. After graduating from University of Michigan, Albert attended Cal Tech where he earned a PhD in Physical Chemistry. Albert put his degree to good use during his career (20 years at Raychem and one year at Physiometrix) – earning a total of 9 US Patents. Outside of work, Albert had numerous hobbies: windsurfing, cycling, soccer, tennis (where he met his wife Shelia), and photography. His desire to help others was demonstrated by his volunteer work serving as a mentor to Friends of Youth.
Due to his Muscular Dystrophy, Albert was forced to retire in 2000. Not one to remain idle and a desire to continue his contributions in life, Albert pursued his passion of astronomy. His physical limitations required special scopes that enabled him to view the stars, planets, and galaxies. Therefore, he put his degree to good use to design and build light weight and portable telescopes. The culmination of his studies (conducted over many years) was his authorship and publication of two books (Engineering, Design, and Construction of String Telescopes & Engineering, Design, and Construction of Portable Newtonian Telescopes). He was the recipient of the Riverside Merit Award for his design/creation of the Dobson Newtonian Scope and was awarded the 2013 Bruce Blair Award Achievement for Amateur Astronomies.
Albert also published numerous articles in the Sky & Telescope Magazine and was an active member of "The Astronomy Connection" where he was frequently sought out for his advice and mentorship. The following quote from one member summarizes the numerous tributes paid to Albert upon his passing: "He was a brilliant, tireless observer and a great teacher, always generous with his time and his findings."
Again, his MD forced his retirement – this time from astronomy and, again, Albert found another hobby to which he could contribute: target shooting. He joined the American Rimfire Association focused on the benchrest discipline. His physical limitations drove him to design and build his own laminated wood stocks allowing him to reduce the weight of the rifle. He wrote many articles for the rimfire accuracy forum about the technical aspects of shooting. He won numerous awards & trophies at the many competitions in which he participated. The following is just one tribute paid to Albert: "I still don't know what I can say to impress upon all of you what a brilliant, kind, and helping individual Albert was, but he's one of my heroes and I'll never forget him"
Albert truly touched the lives of others and was deeply loved by many. He will always be my "One and Only – Forever and Always" (Shelia)
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Kennedy's disease at kennedysdisease.org
