George Oppen (1908-1984))

George, Mary and Linda Oppen are the reason why my father became an archaeologist, and by extension why I spent my early childhood in there.  In the  late 50's, after getting his BA in Mathematics, my father visited them in Mexico where their family still lived in exile after the McCarthy years.  He fell in love with the pyramids that Linda showed him.  In about '81 or '82, my father and I visited George and Mary's  apartment in San Francisco.  George was bright and engaging.  He played fetch with his small black dog, ball tosses punctuating our conversation.  This picture, found on the web, is how I remember him.  Presence, intelligence, caring and playful.