A new section is being established in Herpetological Review, marking the passing of individuals from throughout the world who have made contributions to the science of herpetology. This section will be maintained on the SSAR website with annual updates in Herpetological Review. Some individuals may be selected for full obituaries. The list below provides the preferred format for the web and HR. Information on passings may be sent to the HR associate editor for “In Memory”, Ray Novotny– Naturalist Emeritus, Mill Creek MetroParks, Youngstown & Mahoning County, Ohio (raynovotny@yahoo.com).
The list below is the initial publication of this section (July 2025), in alphabetical order by surname. In the future, the list will focus on the recent notices of the deaths of our colleagues, but earlier ones may be considered if space permits.
Bolten, Alan Bruce
b. May 27, 1945 Essex, New Jersey
d. March 21, 2021 Gainesville, Florida
Associate Director, Archie Carr Center for Sea Turtle Research, University of Florida
Reference: https://bnt.bs/latest-news/in-memoriam-dr-alan-bruce-bolten/
Bour, Roger
b. July 9, 1947 Fontainbleau (Seine et Marne), France
d. March 7, 2020 Paris, France
Curator, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle
Introduction to SSAR Facsimile (2012): Erpetologie Generale ou Histoire Naturelle Complete des Reptiles
Reference: Roger Bour (1947-2020), Le « chélonogiste » du Muséum de Paris. Bulletin de la Société Herpétologique de France, 2025, 186:1-32.
Brooks, Ronald (Ron) James
b. April 16, 1941 Toronto, Ontario
d. December 18, 2023 Guelph, Ontario
Professor of Zoology, University of Guelph
Chair, SSAR Nominating Committee 2003
Reference: https://canadianherpetology.ca/blog/blog_post.html?id=24
Brown, Lauren Evans
b. September 4, 1939 Waukesha, Wisconsin
d. March 10, 2021 Pittsfield, Illinois
Professor of Biology, Illinois State University
Author, SSAR Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles (CAAR)
Reference: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/pantagraph/name/lauren-brown-obituary?id=7230610
Cook, Francis Russell
b. March 3, 1935 Wolfville, Nova Scotia
d. January 3, 2020 Kemptville, Ontario
Curator, National Museum of Canada (now the Canadian Museum of Nature)
Reference: Tribute to “The Snake Man,” Francis Russell Cook, Ph.D., C.M. (1935-2020). Canadian Field-Naturalist, 2020, 134(1):74-81.
Cundall, Frances (Fran) Jane Irish
b. March 17, 1950 Midland, Michigan
d. September 10, 2024 Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Biology Instructor, Moravian University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Reference: https://www.mcall.com/obituaries/frances-jane-irish-cundall/
Frazer, Nathaniel B. (Nat)
b. March 30, 1949 Cochran, Georgia
d. December 7, 2020 Eugene, Oregon
Professor, University of Florida; Dean, Utah State University
Chair, SSAR Conservation Committee 1988
Reference: https://www.usu.edu/advancement/give/memorial/frazer
Heyer, William Ronald (Ron)
b. August 29, 1941 Bellingham, Washington
d. October 8, 2023 Arlington, Virginia
Curator, Reptiles & Amphibians, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History
Chair, SSAR meeting, Tacoma, Washington 1973; Coordinator, Current Literature in Herpetology 1974, Author; Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles (CAAR)
Reference: https://www.plu.edu/resolute/fall-2024/class-notes/dr-william-ronald-ron-heyer/
Highton, Richard (Dick) Taylor
b. December 24, 1927 Chicago, Illinois
d. February 19, 2025 Washington, D.C.
Professor, University of Maryland
Plenary Speaker, 1968 SSAR meeting, University of Virginia Mountain Lake Biological Station; Evolutionary geneticist of the genus Plethodon; Section Editor, SSAR Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles (CAAR)
Reference: https://www.goinghomecares.com/obituaries/Richard-Highton?obId=38286085
Hofmeyr, Margaretha (Retha) Delina
b. November 1, 1950 Kimberly, South Africa
d. February 7, 2020 Cape Town, South Africa
Professor, University of the Western Cape
Reference: Honoring the Legacy of Professor Margaretha Delina Hofmeyr (1950-2020). Chelonian Conservation and Biology, 2023, 22(1):1-2.
King, Frederic Wayne
b. May 30, 1936 West Palm Beach, Florida
d. November 7, 2022 Gainesville, Florida
Former Director, Professor & Curator of Herpetology, Florida Museum of Natural History; prior Director of Conservation, New York Zoological Society; founding member of IUCN Crocodile Specialist Group; Section Editor, SSAR Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles (CAAR)
Reference: Crocodile Specialist Group Newsletter, 2022, 41(4):3-4.
MacMahon, James Albert
b. April 17, 1939 Dayton, Ohio
d. May 6, 2024 Logan, Utah
Professor of Biology, Department Chair, Dean of Science, Vice President for Advancement, Utah State University
Journal of The Ohio Herpetological Society (Associate Editor 1964; Editor 1964)
Reference: https://www.usu.edu/today/story/celebrated-aggie-ecologist-and-utah-state-great-jim-macmahon-dies-at-85
Medica, Philip (Phil) A.
b. December 22, 1941 New York City
d. May 3, 2020 Las Vegas, Nevada
Research Associate, University of California-Los Angeles, Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine & Radiation Biology (Nevada Test Site). Biologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center.
Editor, SSAR Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles (CAAR)
Reference: In Memoriam: Philip A. Medica, Herpetological Stalwart (1941-2020). Herpetological Conservation and Biology, 2020, 15(2):i-ix.
Moody, Scott Michael
b. March 13, 1949 Grand Island, Nebraska
d. January 4, 2023 Albany, Ohio
Associate Professor of Biology, Ohio University
Reference: https://www.ohio.edu/news/2023/01/university-community-mourns-biology-professor-emeritus-scott-moody
Orr, Lowell Preston
b. December 11, 1930 Kingston, Ohio
d. December 2, 2024 Kent, Ohio
Professor of Biology, Kent State University
Co-Chair, Ohio Herpetological Society meeting, Kent 1963; Editorial posts for Journal of The Ohio Herpetological Society; SSAR Board of Directors
Reference: https://www.bisslerandsons.com/obituaries/dr-lowell-orr
Price, Andrew (Andy) Hoyt
b. May 12, 1951 Brussels, Belgium
d. January 16, 2012 Austin, Texas
Natural Resources Scientist, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
General Editor, SSAR Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles 2005-2012; SSAR Presidential Award for Lifetime Achievement in Herpetology, 2011
Reference: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/statesman/name/andrew-price-obituary?id=21662157
Rosen, Philip (Phil) Clark
b. February 25, 1955 New York City
d. September 18, 2020 Tucson, Arizona
Ecologist of the Sonoran Desert
Reference: In Memoriam Dr. Philip C. Rosen (1955-2020). Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad, 2021, 92:e923850.
Schwalbe, Cecil Robert
b. April 2, 1942 Lubbock Texas
d. April 3, 2022 Tucson, Arizona
Research Ecologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, University of Arizona
Reference: https://journalism.arizona.edu/news/dr-cecil-schwalbe-noted-scientist-and-school-journalism-friend-dies-80
Wells, Kentwood David
b. March 23, 1948 Alexandria, Virginia
d. May 23, 2024 Storrs, Connecticut
Professor of Biology, University of Connecticut
Reference: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/kentwood-wells-obituary?id=55185490