Howard Clinton Whisler

Howard Clinton WHISLER Died on September 16, 2007, after a long battle with cancer. He was 76. He was born in Oakland, CA, to George and Ceinwen Whisler on February 4th, 1931. He attended Berkeley schools, and then graduated from Palo Alto High School in 1949. After two years at Oregon State University, he transferred to the University of California, Berkeley, to explore his interest in plant pathology. He married Patty Paine Whisler in 1952 and, after graduation, entered the US Air Force as part of the ROTC program. He had the good fortune to be stationed in Aviano, Italy where he was joined by his family and made lasting friends. In 1956, he returned to Berkely for graduate work and received his Ph.D. in Botany in 1960. Aquatic fungi were his major interest. After post-doctoral study in Montpellier, France, he joined the faculty of McGill University in Montreal. However, he was happy to return to the west coast when the University of Washington offered him a position in the Botany Department. In 1963 the Whislers moved to Seattle and settled in the University District where they lived for forty years. Howard formally retired in 1999 but continued his work on fungal pathogens in insects until two weeks before his death. He was an eager and acute observer of the natural world throughout his life, a creative investigator and an enthusiastic teacher. His parents and his sister, Dorris W. Taylor, are deceased. He is survived by his wife, Patty, his daughter, Jane, and his son, Jack, and his wife, Sibylle Wilbert. He is also survived by his sister, Catherine Wershila, of Antioch, CA, and his brother-in-law, Philip B. Taylor, Jr. of Monterey, CA, as well as by his nieces and nephews and a host of friends and colleagues around the world. The family would like to thank Dr. Robert Ireton for his care and friendship over the past years and the staff at Northwest Hospital for their skill and kindness. Remembrances in Howard's name may be sent to The Nature Conservancy, 1917 1st Avenue, Seattle, 98101. A Memorial Service will be held at University Congregational Church, 4515 16th Ave. NE, Seattle, on September 30th at 2:00 p.m. A Reception will follow at the University of Washington Faculty Club.