John Alfred "Al" Fagerstrom

John Alfred "Al" Fagerstrom

January 4, 1930 – August 20, 2022

Al Fagerstrom passed away peacefully on August 20 in Boulder, CO, after living with Alzheimer's disease for nine years. Al was born in Michigan, an only child. He graduated from Oberlin College as a geology major, received his M.S. in geology from the University of Tennessee, and then went on to earn a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. Al married Marilyn Landis of Worthington, Ohio in 1953; they had three children together.

Al spent his career teaching geology at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, where he stayed for 30 years. He did field work in invertebrate paleontology in 30 states, with publications too numerous to list. After retirement, Al moved to the Colorado mountains and continued his research at the University of Colorado in Boulder, where he turned his focus to coral reef ecology, pursuing his environmental interests. He had wonderful research experiences in Tahiti and Moorea, resulting in a book, The Evolution of Reef Communities.

Al was a world traveler. Some of his visits included China (where he was a visiting professor at Nanjing University), the Galapagos Islands, Australia, and most of the European countries. He spent many winters in New Zealand and Mexico after discovering the winters in the Colorado mountains were not to his liking!

Al was a loving and kind man; he will be remembered for his love of his family and enthusiasm for his profession and the environment. He lived his final years in Boulder, CO at Frasier Meadows Retirement Community, where he was well known and admired by many residents and staff for his cheery personality.

Al is survived by his daughter Linda Saling of Gresham, OR; his daughter Christine Howe of Jamestown/Ward, CO; and his son Eric Fagerstrom of Ward, CO. His survivors also include six grandchildren and one great-grandchild.