Marilyn a year has passed. Like a flash in our memory.
Special thoughts, love and prayers sent t o you today.
The journey - the hole in our heart - it is ongoing. 
With you always.
Darlene Fach

Leroy retired early, creating a faculty spot that I ultimately filled. He was frustrated that I was not an observational scientist, but held out hope he might get me at least vaguely interested in auroral imaging. To "humour the old guy" (literally), I agreed to sit with him and his 'Wilbur' images. That was in 1998, and that discussion transformed me. I was struck by the obvious wealth of exciting science held within the beauty and fluidity of the aurora. As I shifted my practice from theory and modelling to observing, Leroy was there at every step, with valuable advice and financial support from his grants. As I stand in front of audiences showing how we can cover all of Canada with 'just' 25 Wilbur-like All-Sky Imagers, I often think of the irony of my reaction to Leroy's 1997 suggestion that we should deploy an 'outrageous' six of them!

Leroy had vision. I believe it might be that his Fairchild CCD auroral imager was the world's first digital camera: I invite all of us to ponder the staggering significance of that. As Director of the Canadian Network for Space Research, and just as a member of our community, he fought tirelessly for a better ecosystem, in terms of careers and innovation, for space and atmospheric physics in Canada. I count at least six faculty positions in Canada, including my own, that were created as a direct result of what administrators and agencies undoubtedly experienced as 'Cogger's meddling.' I learned he'd personally loaned money to a graduate student so he and his new family could buy their first house. When he heard my ex-wife had holidayed as a little girl on Grave Lake just north of Sparwood, he invited us to visit Marilyn and him in Elkford so she could visit her childhood cottage, a visit that had a profound emotional impact on her. He touched my life in many ways, and I am just one of hundreds.   

In February 2008, my wife, Toni, and I spent a glorious few days away from the cold and snow in Montreal to join Marilyn and Leroy at their rented house on the East coast of Vancouver Island - it was a magnificent few days of relaxation, relative warmth and wonderful company.

Leroy was the most humanistic, compassionate and generous individual who I have had the privilege of knowing.  We first met in 1971 when he joined the faculty of the Physics Department at the University of Calgary.  I was a lowly graduate student in the process of completing my Masters degree and considering what to do thereafter.  Leroy was a distinguished faculty member heavily involved in starting to analyze the data pouring in from one of Canada's first scientific instruments in space - the auroral imager onboard the Canadian ISIS-II satellite launched that year.  Leroy always took a deep interest in the wellbeing of the graduate students, many of whom had come from abroad and who did not have close family around.  He also always had an open door in case anybody wished to chat and get some advice, either with respect to the physics program or on broader issues.  When I left Calgary several years later, I was fortunate to be associated with several scientific programs over the next two decades in which  Leroy was also involved and, thus, we met quite often at meetings or in Calgary where Leroy and Marilyn always insisted that I join them for dinner and to catch up on our lives.  These meals and evenings remain with me as special times of warmth and friendship, indicative of these two lovely people.
Leroy's scientific and humanistic achievements are many and are often under-appreciated by those who have known him on the surface.  He was a natural, although often shy and unassuming, leader who helped so many people, both scientifically and outside the university, achieve success, and I include myself in this group.
His passing is one that I personally feel deeply; we have lost a very special and rare individual.

Leroy hiking in the mountains around Osh.

Leroy and colleague Gordon Shepherd of York University near Carcassonne, France in 1986.  Gordon was the Principal Investigator of an ambitious Canadian space project called WINDII that was flown in 1991 on a US-led satellite to measure aspects of the Earth's upper atmosphere utilizing a collection of innovative instruments.  France was an important collaborator on the instrument and mission and Leroy was a senior investigator on the WINDII team.

One of the highlights of the trip was being invited to the apartment of a Soviet colleague and sharing dinner with him and his family.  The discussions were free-flowing and included not only scientific  issues but also the political situation in the Soviet Union at that time.  Perestroika and glasnost were very much being discussed by many in the country and, for the most part, welcomed as the current economic and social structure was under great pressure.  As we now know, the Soviet Union collapsed two years later.

Leroy and I had the opportunity to represent Canada at an international meeting in Kyrgyzstan in October 1989.  It was a remarkable trip for many reasons including the political situation within the Soviet Union at that time.  Here is a photo of Leroy eating perogies in Osh.  On one occasion, we decided to find a local restaurant in the city rather than the rather bland fare that was served at the conference hotel.  We befriended a local who spoke reasonable english and, after explaining what we wanted, he gladly agreed to assist us and be our guide.  The first thing that he did was to dash out into the middle of a busy road flagging down cars explaining that this was normal practice.  Sure enough, a car soon stopped and after a little haggling, agreed to drive us to our destination for a small fee.  Socialism working!

 I knew Leroy through the CANOPUS program and worked closely with him. I grew to respect his judgment and ability, and he was a true gentleman. I am sorry he is gone, and extend my condolences to the family.

Marilyn,

It is with great sadness that we both lost someone we cared about. Uncle Leroy was a great intelligent man. I’m so happy I have gotten to meet him a couple times in my life. Leroy will always have a small part in my heart. 
 
Your niece,
Ruthanne 

Marilyn - The four of us spent many happy times together in Saskatoon, Mazatlan and Calgary.  We lose someone that we have loved, life moves on and there is little we can do about that. 
However, we still have one another and we make memories in a new way. 
Well done my friend. Love to you in the path forward.
Darlene (and Ken)



Dear Marilyn:

I am so sorry for your loss.  Leroy was such a brilliant, compassionate, funny man and hopefully the past memories will sustain you as you go forward.  I consider you both to be a dear friends from long ago.

Sincerely,

Marilyn Dalgliesh Rosfeld

I am very sorry to hear this, my sincere condolences to the family. I had many contacts with Leroy while I was in Electrical Engineering, and collaborating with the Space Research group in Science, over a period of many years. It was a pleasure interacting with him.


Dearest Marilyn, 

We are so sorry to hear of the passing of Mr. Cogger.  I inadvertently came across the obituary today, as my mom and I were speaking of our time in Calgary.  We have many fond memories of our time together.  Please accept our deepest condolences at this time of grief.  

With sympathies,
Manju and Gitu Sahai

My deepest condolences to all of Leroy's family on his passing.  I had known him since 1971 when we both joined the Physics Department at the University of Calgary.  As an astronomer, I was delighted to hear that he had just come from the Arecibo radio observatory.  In all the intervening years we were colleagues, I valued his unfailingly pleasant disposition and sound academic judgement as well as his research excellence.  He will be missed by all who knew him.
 - Gene Milone

AVIS DE DÉCÈS

Leroy L Cogger

20 mai 1937 – 5 octobre 2022

Foster's Garden Chapel Funeral Home & Crematorium

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