Robert Stratton Coulson, 1928-1999

In addition to several novels written with Gene DeWeese, Mr. Coulson wrote the novels TO RENEW THE AGES and High Spy. He served as Secretary of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America from 1972-74.

He was survived by his wife, author and well known filker, Juanita Coulson. Together they edited the fanzine Yandro, which won a Hugo award in 1965.

The body will be cremated and there was no funeral or visitation. A memorial for Buck will be conducted at Marcon 34, which will take place May 7-9 in Columbus, OH.

Memorials may be sent to American Diabetes Association, American Lung Association or American Heart Association.

Rememberances:

Gene DeWeese-
Anyone with less discipline -- or stubbornness, he would probably say -- would've been dead a decade or two ago. One of his standard jokes was that he scared life insurance salesmen away by answering "Yes" to what the salesmen intended as a multiple choice question about what diseases he suffered from. In addition to adult-onset diabetes and lifelong asthma, he had two heart attacks, but according to his doctor, his heart was in better shape the second time, largely because he had had the good sense to, among other things, pay attention to Juanita and her constant strict monitoring of his diet, not only at home but at the hundreds of cons they attended.

He long had the reputation -- often purposely cultivated -- of being the ultimate fannish curmudgeon. It started, I suspect, because he was simply the most honest person I've ever known and didn't suffer fools easily. And he didn't hesitate to let you know, as I found out on a couple of occasions when he thought, quite rightly, that I'd slipped into that category.

But I wouldn't trade the last half century of friendship with him for anything, from the days of the two-headed Thomas Stratton in EISFA and Yandro to the U.N.C.L.E. novels we resurrected him for and the hundreds of miniature golf games back when he and Juanita and my wife Bev and I seemed to spend almost every weekend together.

I just wish it could've gone on a few more years -- although I'm sure he'd be the first to grouse about such maudlin sentimentality. He'd probably shorten up a few of my sentences, too.

-------- Bob Tucker-
My memory no longer serves me when I need it so I can say only that I first met Buck some forty-odd years ago. Our friendship was so close that I put him into two of my books and he gloried in it. In "TO THE TOMBAUGH STATION" (1960) he is the captain of a spaceship named "Yandro," and he plays a part near the end in trying to save the dumb hero from crashing on Pluto.

In "RESURRECTION DAYS" (1981) he is the pastor of the hero's church (which was a double=barreled in-joke for fans in the know). Meanwhile in that same book Juanita operates a small restaurant on the outskirts of Indianapolis, and serves great juicy steaks for $1.25. Buck was so entranced with that one that he nominated the book for a Hugo.

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Ken Keller-
First a little local (Kansas City) fan history connection, re: the Coulsons. Both Buck and Juanita were the Fan GoHs at ConQuesT 16 back in 1985. (George R. R. Martin was the pro guest, Algis Budrys was the toastmaster, and Tom Meserole was the con chair.) What a ConQuesT that was! And I remember having a long conversation with Buck & Juanita at the ConQuesT pre-con party at Jan & Pac Gephardt's old house. The subject? Fandom, what else!

I should note that Juanita was as a well-known fan for many years before breaking into the professional ranks. Both Coulsons became, perhaps, the best known active fans in Indiana fandom. (I remember first meeting them at the 1974 MidWestCon in Cincinnati, where a certain bunch of KC fannish whippersnappers (ahem) were promoting a certain Worldcon bid.) I'll bet the Living Ghod of Fandom could tell us some Buck Coulson stories, if we asked Him nicely...

Their fanzine YANDRO was the Hugo winner in 1965 for best fanzine and is still a very good zine. It's one of the longest running fanzines in the history of SF fandom--it was first published by Buck (and Gene DeWeese if memory serves) as a clubzine in the early 1950s. When Buck and Juanita married in the mid-50s, it became their genzine, and has been so ever since. Why I still remember receiving my very first YANDRO years ago: the pungent smell of fresh mimeo ink and the look and feel of the bulky, bright yellow Twiltone Bond as it left the confines of the envelope. Ahhhh....I'm going to miss Buck's incisive reviews and his no-nonsense observations of the fannish scene. Fanzines came and went, but YANDRO was always there.

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Juanita Coulson-
"A bit of a correction to Ken Keller's notes. YANDRO began as a club zine published by me, with some early assistance from Bev Amers (to become DeWeese). It was EISFA, the Cool Stfclub, remember? Buck and Gene both wrote for it, and eventually, as Buck liked to say, he married the editor/boss, and then it became YANDRO."

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Phyllis Gotlieb-
I was very sorry to hear of Buck Coulson's death. Many years ago when my story "Son of the Morning" was shortlisted for the Nebula, he sent me a copy of Yandro in which he pointed out that it was his and Juanita's choice for the novella Nebula. That was a very decent consolation prize!

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