Rochester community remembers Harry Buck

(ABC 6 News) – The Founding Director of the Quarry Hill Nature Center, Harry Buck, passed away over the weekend.

Now the Rochester Community is coming together to remember the man who dedicated his life to science education.

Harry Buck taught at Quarry Hill until 1986, and then returned in 2014 to volunteer.

“Wow, an impact of Harry Buck who put this in motion for the community is tremendous, its generational in its impact,” Pamela Meyer, Executive Director at the Quarry Hill Nature Center said.

The Nature Center is the building that Harry built, and inside, is a plethora of knowledge on all things nature.

“He was a wonderful friend and a mentor, watching him teach was a wonderful thing. He had such a natural way of doing it,” Meyer said.

And it’s the stories that Harry taught these kids that will live forever.

“What Harry started as a collective community project still continues today,” Meyer said.

Pamela is a teacher at heart. She’s teaching the next generation of nature enthusiasts. Just like Harry did.

“Kids describe him as someone who exuded knowledge, and you can pick it up by osmosis, by just being around him. I would say that’s all Harry,” Meyer said.

“I didn’t know the guy any better than thousands of others, but he made an impact with his positive attitude, and his excellence to education,” Mark Mueller, a Rochester resident said.

Mark Mueller visited Quarry Hill when he was in elementary school in the ’70s.

He remembers meeting Harry, his kindness was something he never forgot.

“He really laid this foundation for the Quarry Hill Nature Center and what others have built upon for decades now,” Mueller said.

Even Though Harry’s gone, the stories he shared and the memories he built will last a lifetime.

“That’s hard, we’ll always miss him, and we’re proud of him. His legacy will live on,” Meyer said.