Dick Hewetson Celebration of Life

Dick Hewetson

1:30 p.m., September 6, 2025

Our friend Dick Hewetson died on July 19 at the age of 95 after a long and purposeful life. We will be celebrating his life Saturday afternoon September 6 at the Billy DeFrank LGBTQ+ Community Center in San Jose, California. You may join this celebration in person or on Zoom.

Dick was born in a Chicago suburb in 1930. Dick was raised Christian, and was an Episcopal priest in his early adult years, but he never believed what he was trying to preach. At age 42, he came out of the closet as a gay man. Dick and his then-partner had reached the conclusion that the greatest enemy of LGBTQ-plus people was religion.

Dick joined the Freedom from Religion Foundation in 1978, soon after FFRF was founded by Anne Gaylor and her daughter Annie Laurie Gaylor. Dick Hewetson has been an FFRF member for over 45 years. He has been a leader for atheist rights all this time.

Dick also promoted LGBTQ+ rights in the labor union movement in Minnesota, and founded an LGBTQ+ library there. He has furthered gay rights for over half a century. After Dick left the ministry, he worked for the State of Minnesota Employment Division, helping to locate jobs for recent immigrants.

Dick Hewetson chose the day and time of his own death, and carried out his dying process with the aid of California law, with physician assistance and Hospice assistance. That day Dick was surrounded with a small group of his friends and relatives to celebrate his last day of life.

We encourage you to share your memories of Dick Hewetson with the rest of us in attendance at this Celebration of Life.
For folks planning to speak briefly (in person or via Zoom) please email Dick’s friend and our Master of Ceremonies Jim at [jimvanbuskirk@sbcglobal.net](mailto:jimvanbuskirk@sbcglobal.net)
For folks planning to attend in person please email Dick’s niece Kim at [kimspawn5@gmail.com](mailto:kimspawn5@gmail.com) using the subject line “Dick’s celebration of life.”

09/06/2025 Dick Hewetson Celebration of Life from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

Attend in Person:

Come to the Billy DeFrank LGBTQ+ Community Center, 938 The Alameda, San Jose, CA 95126, on Saturday September 6 during the setup period 12:30-1:30 pm. The entrance to the Center is at the back of the parking lot.

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Also, you can join the celebration on Zoom. To join and be able to speak briefly, click here.
No password is needed — our host will admit you from the waiting room. Joining the meeting via the link will download and install the Zoom app on your desktop computer (if it’s not already installed), and then take you to the meeting. You can also install the Zoom app on your computer or smartphone, and then enter:
Meeting ID: 816 5389 0712
Passcode: 250634

Join the meeting by phone: +1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)

Find an international number to call: https://zoom.us/u/afYkAuvE6

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John McWorter and Richard Dawkins at the Scopes Trial Centennial

John McWorter

11 a.m., August 10, 2025

Join us this Sunday, either in person or online, as we watch and discuss a video from the 2025 Scopes Trial Centennial Conference.

In this special session, evolutionary biologist and author Richard Dawkins presents the 2025 Richard Dawkins Award to John McWhorter, Columbia University linguist and New York Times columnist. The award honors individuals who champion reason, science, and secularism.

Following the award presentation, Dawkins and McWhorter engage in a thought-provoking on-stage conversation exploring the origin and evolution of language, touching on linguistics, human cognition, and the nature of communication itself.

The Scopes Trial Centennial Conference, co-hosted by the Center for Inquiry (CFI) and the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), commemorates the 100th anniversary of the famous 1925 “Monkey Trial,” a pivotal moment in American history that tested whether science or religious dogma would shape public education.

You can preview this 55-minute video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=ov-S1w_fU1Y

Attend in Person:

This Sunday, you can attend our forum in person with fellow humanists in the Orchard Room at the Los Altos Library, 13 S. San Antonio Road, Los Altos, CA 94022. Lunch will be served after the forum. We request a $10 donation.

If you can join us in person, please email vp@humanists.org to help us make sure we have room for you. If you have symptoms that may be COVID, kindly attend on Zoom.

———-

Also, we will continue to present our forums on Zoom. To join and be able to ask questions and make comments, click here.
No password is needed — our host will admit you from the waiting room. Joining the meeting via the link will download and install the Zoom app on your desktop computer (if it’s not already installed), and then take you to the meeting. You can also install the Zoom app on your computer or smartphone, and then enter:
Meeting ID: 816 5389 0712
Passcode: 250634

Join the meeting by phone: +1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)

Find an international number to call: https://zoom.us/u/afYkAuvE6

———-

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Bay Area Skeptics presents “SkeptiCal 2025: Science Over Superstition”

SkeptiCal 2025: Science Over Superstition

9 a.m. – 5 p.m., August 23, 2025

SkeptiCal is the scientific skepticism conference sponsored by several northern California skeptical groups. The Humanist Community is participating as an Exhibitor.

Details

Get your tickets now! Ticket prices goes up to $70 on Friday.
Update: The early pricing for SkeptiCal 2025 is extended through Sunday, August 3rd!
Use the code EXTENDED to get the $20 off the full price when buying the ticket.

SPEAKERS:
Eugenie Scott – Scopes at 100: A Good Story to Take Seriously
Ross Blocher – Presenting Skepticism at LA’s Largest Spiritual Conference
Dana Nuccitelli – Doom, Gloom, and Energy Boom
Celeste Kidd – How to Know
Molly Bentley and Seth Shostak – Podcasting Skepticism
Kyle Polich – Enhance!
Erica Byrne – Everyday Acts of Science and Skepticism
Jim Underdown – Four Miracles
Bill Patterson – Skepardy!

Tickets ($50 during July; $75 thereafter): skepticalcon.com

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The Future of Truth

Prof. Hammond, Mr. Balasubramaniyan, Ms. Paillon, and Prof. Wolcot

11 a.m., August 3, 2025

Join us this Sunday, either in person or online, as we watch and discuss a video from the TWIN Global 2023 conference. Professor Robert Wolcot, Co-Founder and Chair of The World Innovation Network (TWIN), interviews an international panel on the meaning of and search for truth in a world where it is becoming increasingly hard to identify.

The panel consists of Marjorie Paillon, Journalist and Anchor with TV France; Vijay Balasubramaniyan, Co-Founder CEO and CTO of Pindrop Security; and Kristian Hammond, Professor of Computer Science at Northwestern University and Chief Scientist at Narrative Science.

TWIN is an invitation-only connective that brings together decision-makers from over 30 countries who impact business, government, arts, and philanthropy.

You can see this 32 minute video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDx9kyo7NKk

Attend in Person:
On the first and fourth Sunday of the month, like this Sunday, attend our forum in person with fellow humanists at the Neutra House Conference Center, 181 Hillview Ave, Los Altos, CA 94022. Lunch will be served after the forum. We request a $10 donation.

If you can join us in person, please email vp@humanists.org to help us make sure we have room for you. If you have symptoms that may be COVID, kindly attend on Zoom.

———-

Also, we will continue to present our forums on Zoom. To join and be able to ask questions and make comments, click here.
No password is needed — our host will admit you from the waiting room. Joining the meeting via the link will download and install the Zoom app on your desktop computer (if it’s not already installed), and then take you to the meeting. You can also install the Zoom app on your computer or smartphone, and then enter:
Meeting ID: 816 5389 0712
Passcode: 250634

Join the meeting by phone: +1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)

Find an international number to call: https://zoom.us/u/afYkAuvE6

———-

Subscribe to our events in your Apple Calendar:
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Like us on Facebook:
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Visit the Humanist Community web site:
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RSVP on Meetup:
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Click the Interested button or share on Patch:
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