Raphael Sagarin, a UA associate research scientist, was killed on Thursday, May 28 around 6:37 p.m. while riding his bicycle on State Route 77, Milepost 99.3 near Oracle. He was 43 years old.
A pickup truck driven by Gary L. Colvin, 44, from Tucson is said to have swerved partially off the road and struck Sagarin from behind. Sagarin was thrown off his bicycle and although he was wearing a helmet, he succumbed to injuries at the scene.
Colvin was allegedly impaired at the time of the collision and he was arrested and booked for a manslaughter charge into the Pinal County Jail. Further charges are still pending.
The UA purchased the Biosphere 2 about eight years ago, and brought in Sagarin to manage and help transform the 700,000-gallon, 9,000 square-foot ocean inside the facility to replicate the Gulf of California.
Sagarin’s passion for marine life shined when Tucson Local Media, our parent company, interviewed him in 2014 for a story highlighting the program.
“Every single stranger that I tell I’m a marine biologist and that I live in Tucson, they laugh, and they say, ‘What’s a marine biologist doing in Tucson?’” said Sagarin.
At least one reason Sangarin was in Tucson was his love for his work. More details will be released as they are available.
This article appears in May 28 – Jun 3, 2015.
Looking at Colvin’s Facebook page shows me he was a POS loser even before he rand down Mr. Sagarin.
i met raphael for the first time a year ago when we were on a ua panel together discussing sound and the environment.
his ideas for the future of biosphere 2 were exciting, especially where the integration of sound was concerned.
earlier this year we were on another panel at the blanced/unbalanced conference and afterwards we spoke extensively about (artificial and natural) sonic environments, how they connect us to the greater world and ways sound could be used at biosphere 2 to foster those connections.
we even brainstormed on ways to amplify the sounds of the giant “lungs” which circulate air and share those sounds with visitors.
it was the sort of wide-ranging conversation which is all too rare and we agreed to revisit the topic later this year.
i am grateful we had a chance to meet and speak when we did.
learning of raphael’s passing is a tragic loss and his presence/ideas will be greatly missed.
We met Rafe wandering along an obscure coast near San Carlos, Mexico. Our daughters explored tide pools while Rafe showed us snails that dye your skin and described the work that would lead to his book on learning from the octopus. His delight in nature was equaled only by his obvious love for his family. He spoke a lot about his wife and his other daughter and when he would catch up with them. My sister was killed by a drunk driver and as years have rolled by, we have forgotten the man’s name. We know he was a human who suffered horribly for his act. He never walked again. He lost his family. All we remember is the love of our sister. I would wish that Rafe’s family remember Rafe’s love for them. It is as fathomless as the sea. It endures.
Rest in peace great man. May your family find some peace soon.
Wow…his FB page indeed says a bunch. Talks of being drunk and smoking trees all while posting pic’s of ‘barely’ legal girls while barely containing himself. Another top-notch Tucson citizen behind bars.