Above: Lick Observatory, 2024 (photo by Nick Gonzales)
Gary Vosters was always curious about the white dots on top of Mount Hamilton. One hot July day, he convinced his older brother to start up their dad’s Honda 450 motorcycle, and they drove east on a narrow, windy road up to those white dots—visible from their childhood home in San José—more commonly known as Lick Observatory.
That impulse visit decades ago would change the trajectory of Gary’s life. So much so that he has added Lick to his will to ensure that other kids in the future might find inspiration there like he did.
Gary Vosters (courtesy Gary Vosters)
“That mountain changed my life at 12 years old,” Gary said.
Gary struggled in school as a kid—staying focused was a challenge for him. He remembers being tucked away in classroom corners to avoid disturbing the class. So on that summer afternoon at Lick Observatory when Keith Baker, the principal telescope technician, awoke from his nap to give Gary and his brother an unscheduled tour of the observatory, Gary was in awe.
Baker was passionate about it, said Gary—and he recognized that same level of excitement in the young boy he was leading around the facility.
“He broke down the information to my level, and engaged with me as if I mattered,” Gary recalled. “He made me want to understand it all better. But to study engineering, you have to be a little bit better with math and pay attention in school. So at 12, that visit kind of arrested my academic downfall.”
That tour sparked a curiosity in Gary that would stay with him throughout his academic journey and into his career. He went on to become a master mechanic, working on motorcycles and cars, and eventually found himself working on robots in high tech.
“When kids visit the observatory … a few of them stand there in awe, eyes wide open. I’m looking at these 10- and 12-year-olds thinking, ‘That was me,’ and I know that fires are being lit for science and technology in their souls.”
In 2009, after a chance encounter with a close friend of Lotus Baker—Keith Baker’s wife and Lick Observatory gift shop manager—Gary found his way back to the mountain and has volunteered at the observatory ever since.
With 16 years of volunteering under his belt, Gary continues to find joy in watching young people become inspired like he was that hot July day.
“When kids visit the observatory with their families, most of them are just running around, being kids, but a few of them stand there in awe, eyes wide open,” he said. “I’m looking at these 10- and 12-year-olds thinking, ‘That was me,’ and I know that fires are being lit for science and technology in their souls.”
In order to continue supporting Lick and help champion life-changing opportunities for young people, Gary has added Lick Observatory to his will. With a planned gift to support maintenance at Lick, he hopes that his gift will help many generations to find inspiration there, like he did, and will motivate others to give.
“So much of my heart is on that mountain,” Gary said. “And when I’m gone, I don’t need a big plaque or a spotlight. My goal is that I’m hoping that what I leave will inspire others, as well, but also, that’s what it’s going to take to take care of the observatory.”
With his gift, Gary has become a founding member of the Friends Forever Legacy Society at Lick Observatory.
Nearly 150 years ago, James Lick signed a trust establishing Lick Observatory on Mt. Hamilton, making it the world’s first mountaintop observatory. In honor of this historic milestone, Lick Observatory has launched the Friends Forever Legacy Society to recognize those who included the observatory in their wills or estate plans. Founding members of the society are helping secure the observatory’s future, leaving a lasting legacy for generations to come.
Volunteering and giving to Lick Observatory has always been rewarding to Gary, and now, even though he lives in Nevada City, 200 miles away from the mountain, he still takes the time to visit and volunteer at least quarterly.
“When I moved up here, I knew that my time at Lick Observatory would be waning, and at the same time, absence makes the heart grow fonder,” Gary said. “Even though I’m distant, I’m obviously still very passionate about the place.”