Today I read that Ray Bandar passed away and I was reminded how lucky I was to get to interview him at his home for a Discovery Channel show.
Every surface in his home was covered in skulls and we recorded part of the interview in his basement surrounded by empty sockets from hundreds of different animals.
He was such a nice guy and so happy to explain how he learned not to boil the flesh off of the seal skulls he collected in the bay because the smell upset his wife.
There was a wall of photos showing him teaching students in the local schools dating back decades and he told a few stories that made it clear that the skull collection was his gateway to educating others, especially underprivileged youth. I left that interview extremely inspired!
More about Ray:
- https://www.ktvu.com/news/skull-collector-ray-bones-bandar-dies-at-90-in-san-francisco
- https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Ray-Bones-Bandar-biologist-and-skull-12468945.php#taboola-5
- https://www.niche-museums.com/100
