William J. DRESS

DRESS - William J. Professor of botany, emeritus, of the Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium at Cornell University died December 15, 2012 at his home at Kendal at Ithaca. He was 93. Dr. Dress was born in Buffalo and was the son of the late David and Hazel Dress and the grandson of the late Benjamin and Harriet Bauchspies. He was a graduate of South Park High School and the University at Buffalo where he received his A.B. degree in classical languages. He served in the U.S. Amy Air Corps from 1942 to 1945 in Europe and North Africa. Dr. Dress continued his education at Cornell and became Professor of Botany where he taught, was editor of several horticultural journals and worked many years with colleagues editing Hortus Third, the one essential authoritative reference work of the plants of North American horticulture. His chief research interest was the Taxonomy of Compositae. He was the author of ten plants and had two named for him. Dr. Dress retired after 35 years with Cornell. Dr. Dress was uniformly generous with his time, knowledge and spirit. His love of botany resulted in his involvement in many community organizations where he could share his plants with others. He was a world traveler, a collector of fine art and antiquities and loved opera. He was dedicated to his family, was extremely generous and caring, a humble man of great grace and courage. Dr. Dress is survived by his sister Lucille Condon (late Frank), of Orchard Park and was predeceased by two sisters; Emilie Kinsella and Annette Caughel (late Herbert). He is survived by 57 nieces and nephews who loved him dearly. Burial was at St. Matthew's Cemetery in West Seneca.