"Good day, Professor Doktor Starosta." That was my usual greeting to my good friend Stan. His rejoinder was invariably, “Good day Reverend Doktor Topping.” That was the way we started each encounter. Sometimes, when we were in a hurry, we just left it at that, and went on our different ways.

But, more often than not that flippant exchange would lead to a more extended conversation, always, of course, interspersed by Stan’s puns, palindromes, and sometimes outlandishly funny stories.

Over the years Stan and I talked about nearly everything, even linguistics. While I can not speak for him, I can say that I always came away from our conversations knowing something that I didn’t know before. That is not to say that I remembered all of it. But, I always felt somewhat lifted by our brief encounters.

In spite of his outward jocularity, Stan showed me a serious side about the things that really mattered: his family, the department, the university, the country, the world, and, of course, linguistics, to which he was uncommonly dedicated

Now it is time to say goodbye to my friend, Professor Doktor Starosta. You always made me feel good, Stan. In sum, I think you done a great job with your life that was all too short. I’ll miss you.

Aloha pumehana,

Don (a.k.a. The Reverend Doktor Topping)