R. Christopher Rigel Masters

r. christopher masters

July 14, 1941 ~ June 25, 2020

Born in: Brooklyn, New York
Resided in: Fremont, California

Christopher was known for his wonderful stories, sense of humor and caring ways. He loved the water, hiking, redwoods, and most of all pursuing knowledge and understanding, especially the history of science and “how we know what we know” – epistemology. He was also a marvelous cook and enjoyed being creative in the kitchen – wok cooking a specialty.

He loved to tell and communicate through stories, and he was fond of saying that “he could remember every joke he had ever heard from the age of four” and he could tell them well!

Christopher had an unusual gift – he could “look at what everyone else looks at, and see what no one else sees.” This ability led to many important insights and scientific developments. He was also literate in some 25 scientific disciplines. He used these gifts and abilities to address some critical technical challenges that we face.

Family

He grew up in Brooklyn, NY, and while he was an only child he was one of 14 first cousins in the Schlossel and Stabiner families.

Christopher and Caroline M. Hosken married in June of 1982. We met through friends at a New Years Day brunch in NYC 1/1982, and ten days later decided to get married. Christoper used to say he was slow – it took him ten days and Caroline knew in two!

We lived in Metuchen NJ, Maui Hawaii and Fremont, CA.

Education

  • BS in Chemistry – Brooklyn Polytechnic (now Polytechnic Institute of New York)
  • Ph.D in Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy, Cornell University
  • Post-doc in Psychology, Personality Theory, Duke University (almost got a 2nd Ph.D!)
  • Christopher was an Arica Diamond in the Arica Institute, the neo-sufi school founded by Oscar Ichazo
  • Amateur Lapidary – he learned to cut and polish precious stones – specializing in Australian black opal.

Endeavors

During his long and varied career Christopher spent time at Lockheed Missiles and Space (worked on the factory service contract for the Fleet Ballistic Missile), he was a Visiting Fellow in the Chemical Engineering Department at Princeton University, and he had a thriving Consulting Practice in environmental remediation in New Jersey (and elsewhere).

He pursued significant scientific development on a number of important projects with global implications and humanitarian benefits including:

  • the chemistry, delivery process and business/political strategy to successfully remediate the damage to the stratospheric ozone layer (Ozone Shield Restoration)
  • the development of a stabilized hydrogen fuel and storage medium: a liquid at room temperature that handles like propane, burns like gasoline, and produces only water and a small amount of recoverable CO2. A gasoline substitute, and a storage medium for excess energy – an alternative to battery technologies. (Extensible Power Systems)
  • and projects in areas such as: a cost effective process for desalination of seawater that does not produce a toxic brine, and work in sustainable agriculture among others.

Legacy

Christopher was not retired when he fell ill suddenly in early 2017 with CHF and related conditions, and he fought valiantly to return to health to pursue his unfinished work. We are very open to ways to continue his several important scientific projects – his legacy.

Christopher is survived by his wife Caroline, residing in Fremont, CA.

Be in Touch

If you would like to be in touch with Caroline and you do not have my contact information already, please contact Berge-Pappas-Smith Chapel of the Angels, and they will provide it.

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Guestbook

  1. I first met Christopher and Caroline in 2011, when they visited my listing open house in Woodside. I knew I had met an unusual person when Christopher asked for complete silence so he could listen to the redwood trees. We three subsequently developed an enduring business and personal relationship. Interacting with Christopher was a delight intellectually and emotionally. He was funny and filled with energy and excitement. Of all the many things I valued in him, what stands out in particular is his generosity and his love for his wife. How delightful it was to see his face light up when he sang her praises! Indeed, he’d found an extraordinary mate in Caroline and his appreciation of her was a joy to behold. I will miss him. I wish Caroline the enduring balm of having loved and having been loved by her dear soulmate, Christopher.

  2. Christopher was a great man and it is the earth’s loss as well. His work will be carried on in his memory. Rest in peace

  3. I met Christopher in 1973 in Santa Cruz, CA, at an “early” Arica Institute training. It was a “two-old-souls-meeting-again-like-brothers experience. We remained friends until his passing and I could always call him for an intelligent conversation, no matter where or when. This was especially valuable during my 21 years of life in the corporate world. He used to tell me that 50% of the subject matter I presented to him was nonsense, but the other 50% were gems. From someone as well-versed and erudite as Christopher, I always took that as a compliment. In addition, I had the good fortune and karma to introduce him to Caroline.

    Rest in peace, Christopher. I know you are still with us in spirit.

  4. On of the most brilliant and intriguing individuals I have ever known. It was to privilege.

  5. CandleI met Christopher at a talk by a Nobel Laureate on a topic we both found fascinating but was in neither of our fields. Over the years we spoke frequently about energy and compost and saving the world. It was always extraordinary fun to talk to Christopher and I always learned something. The one thing that always shone through was his love and respect for the love of his life Caroline. She made him feel like the luckiest man alive.

  6. The moment we met we became friends. I always enjoyed listening to his stories, Which I will miss more than anything. He was a brilliant, individual, I learned so much from him with a sense of humour with a style of its own. The Love he had for his wife (soulmate) was indeed deep and passionate, and they were like a Beautiful symphony when they spoke together. Remembering him with a smile on his face and laughter in his heart. Missing you Christopher

  7. I am deeply grateful to have known Christopher. He persuaded me, back in 1973, to relocate to California and to enroll in Arica Institute, which was life-changing for me. It was always an honor to spend time with him, enjoying his brilliance, his kindness, and the unique perspectives on life that he freely shared.

  8. CandleChristopher was an intelligent and brilliant! I was Christopher’s hairstylist. But he always referred to me as his Hair Voyant. I will miss Christopher sitting in my chair and there was never enough time, and I considered it a privilege to have Christopher in my chair. He always filled me up with his knowledge and I always loved and enjoyed watching his interaction with the love of his life Caroline. Also my other clients that were in the hair salon, always would make beautiful comments about those two love birds! I will miss you Christopher and I can promise you I will never forget you!!!

  9. CandleAs a volunteer Chaplain I visited Christopher on many occasions and admired him not only as a man
    but as a concerned caregiver for Mother Nature “Earth.” He was one of most ntelligentual people I’ve ever met.
    Any subject brought up was solved or modifited with compassion. Another thing that made my heart smile was his commitment to his wife, Caroline and through thick and thin Caroline was always by his side. A match that had to have been made from Higher Dimensions. God’s Blessing unto you Christopher.

  10. CandleI knew Christopher from a round table consortium that we both attended back in 2004. The topic was “Hydrogen, the Fuel of The Future”. Normally I would have never went to such an event…. But thanks to another scientific college that managed to convince me to go I ended up leaving that event a changed man for the rest of my life, because on that day, I fell “Intellectually” in love with Dr. Masters, All because there were 25 other scientists at that consortium and after listening to 23 of them babble on for hours about how hydrogen was the only true renewable fuel of the future and how wonderful it would be to bottle it to run it their cars blah blah. Well I had finally had enough of that nonsense and opened my mouth to say. ” why do I have to remind all of you highly educated individuals that hydrogen is one of the smallest molecules in the universe “tempered glass won’t even hold it” and you want to store it a moving vehicle just waiting for an accident, Not to mention the fact that its not all that renewable its convertible yes, but methane is truly the only highly renewable, safe, clean and abundant fuel on earth. Well all 23 of then told me to shut up! and sit down!, where as Dr. Master finally spoke and said as he rose ” Do we not all agree that I am the most accomplished and educated scientist here” and all 23 of them chimed “why yes you are Christopher” and then Dr. Master said “this man is right”. He was my mentor from that day forth, My only regret is that I had not met him earlier in life. RIP Dr. Masters you will be missed greatly by all that knew and loved you.

  11. CandleI met Christopher as a customer at my health foodstore in Fremont. He alway feed my brain and soul with either intelligent or beatiful stories of his. He was such a brilliant and wonderful human being. When he started to see my husband, Francisco to get an acupuncture treatment. They became good friends and even Christopher was not well that time, He and Caroline were so sweet they came to our wedding and shared one of the most important memory in our lives.
    The love between Caroline and Christopher is so beautiful and inspirational for all of us. Caroline, Please accept my deepest sympathies for the loss of your husband.
    Our thoughts are with you during this painful time, please accept our sincere sympathies.
    “What is lovely never dies, but passes into another loveliness, star-dust or sea-foam, flower or winged air.” —Thomas Bailey Aldrich


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