Walter Jude Canzonier

Walter ("Wally") Jude Canzonier

Manasquan - Walter ("Wally") Jude Canzonier, 85, of Manasquan, NJ, died on June 21, 2021, after suffering a stroke and subsequent illnesses over the past decade. Walter was born on February 6, 1936, in New Brunswick, NJ, to parents Joseph and Mary (Patterson) Canzonier. The eldest of his siblings, he is survived by his brother James Canzonier and his wife Margaret (Peggy) of Point Pleasant Beach, nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews, and friends. He was predeceased by his brother Peter Canzonier, and his sister Mary Jo Read.

Walter attended St. Peter's College in Jersey City, NJ, and pursued graduate study in the Department of Zoology at Rutgers University from 1957-1964. Over the years, he was associated with the Department of Oyster Culture, Cook College, Rutgers University; the UNESCO Division of Marine Science, Paris; the Coastal Resources Applied Research Laboratory, Chioggia, Italia; the Istituto di Biologia Marina, Venezia; and the Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory of Rutgers' New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. Walter published more than fifty scientific, technical, and popular publications on molluscan biology and culture, the marine environment, and public health aspects of seafood production. He conducted laboratory and field research in molluscan physiology and pathology and field studies of estuarine dynamics. He focused on applied research related to shellfish sanitation, policy development for commercial shellfish industries and public health, the design and construction of marine research and bivalve culture and processing facilities, and the development and application of culture technology for shellfish production. He was a technical consultant to public agencies in the USA, Canada, Italia, and Ireland. A founding member of the New Jersey Aquaculture Association, he served as its president for nearly a decade. The National Shellfisheries Association honored Walter with the David C. Wallace Award for promoting "understanding, knowledge, and cooperation among industry members, the academic community, and government."

Walter was an unconventional character who applied the same eclectic approach to social issues and interpersonal relationships as he did to science. A gathering will take place at a later date.