Paul Birkbeck
At the time of his death he was heading up a new venture called 7 Technologies, a firm dedicated to advancing alternative sanitizing technology.
I met Paul 24 years ago. From the start, he was a valued colleague and the dearest of friends.
When we met, he was in the midst of promoting one of his ingenious ideas, a water treatment system called NOGSYS, the nascent oxygen generating system. I was working for an industry magazine at the time and a large part of my job was reporting on technical advancements in the field of water treatment. In that line of work, meeting Paul was like finding gold. That particular invention, one of many, worked off the principle of generating what is known in chemistry circles as hydroxyl radicals. I had never heard that term before, but was soon to get an education courtesy of Paul’s flourishing intellect.
At the time, the concept was very new and Paul was fighting an uphill battle trying to gain acceptance for his idea. The technology was exciting but it was Paul’s passion and creative brilliance that stood out the most. I knew I had found someone worth knowing, not just in a professional capacity but also as a friend. It bears mentioning that Paul was way ahead of his time with that idea and that wouldn’t be the last time he broke the curve and forced others in his field to question their basic assumptions of how things can and should work.
Water treatment was always never too far away in our discussions, because he was forever working on something new. When he talked about his ideas, you couldn’t help but get drawn in by his energy, vision and remarkable depth of knowledge. Listening to Paul discuss his latest inventions and ideas was kind of the science version of watching an action movie. Let’s face it, water treatment is one of those subjects that can put most people to sleep, but not when Paul talked about it. He practically vibrated with energy and there were times I felt like I was going to break a sweat just listening to him.
He was truly a force of nature and I turned to him many times as a resource and a touchstone. On a purely professional level I and a whole bunch of other people owe Paul a debt that we can never repay.
One could probably write volumes about his ideas and accomplishments, which include holding three patents, but for now, suffice to say that the industries he served have lost a towering intellect, not to mention a colorful personality of the most vivid kind. It’s sad to think of the ideas that we’ll never experience as a result of his early departure.
Paul was what some people might describe as larger than life. Everything about him was outsized and grand. There were no half measures with Paul, we was all-in on everything he did. Sure, he had a big ego, but there was so much more to his grandiosity than that. He truly believed he could help make the world a better place through his technical innovations. He believed, as I do, that providing clean water is one of the most essential of human endeavors and he took on that challenge with a focus and gusto that was genuinely awe-inspiring.
But Paul’s passions were certainly not limited to his professional stripes as an innovator. He was equally obsessed with subjects across a wide spectrum. We spent hours discussing politics, history, morality, science of all kinds and, yes, religion.
A few weeks ago he told me that when his time came, he wanted everyone to throw a party because he knew he would be at the side of his savior and we should be happy for him.
Finally, Paul’s other great love was for his beautiful wife, Lauren. As was his way with all things, he was very candid and at times giddy talking the love he felt for her. You could practically see him beaming over the phone when he described her beauty and kindness, how she helped him become a better man and live life as it should be – anchored by love.
Ultimately, for all of Paul’s amazing qualities, it was his heart that stands out the most.
