Joseph Lewis Popp

Joseph Lewis Popp passed away Tuesday, June 27, 2006.
He was born Sept. 10, 1950, in Cleveland, Ohio, and grew up in Willowick. He was the son of Joseph Lewis Popp and Dorothy K. Popp.
He was the beloved partner of Christine Ryan. They lived at Stonehouse Farm in Oneonta, part of which was being converted to a tropical butterfly conservatory as a fun and educational experience for the community. He owned a small publishing company, Man and Nature Press.
Joe was an evolutionary anthropologist and received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1979. Prior to that, he studied zoology at Ohio State, where he graduated with distinction (Phi Beta Kappa) in 1972. He spent 15 years in eastern Africa studying hamadryas baboons, writing and publishing. He met Christine in Kenya, where she was teaching high school biology and Joe was conducting research for his graduate studies. Joe had written several books and was work-ing on two others at the time of his death. His writing was an important part of his life, all a great pleasure to him. He also loved camping and canoeing.
A brilliant thinker who was always kind and thoughtful, Joe so enjoyed young people and was a positive influence on all those who knew him. He was, for the past seven years, a wonderful friend and mentor to Maedbh Ryan and, recently, Alex Sorbera. He spoke very often of his 11 nieces and nephews and delighted in news of their daily activities as well as their accomplish-ments. He will be forever missed.
Joe is survived by his loving mother and four sisters and their families. They are Dorothy Popp, his mother, Susan Furlan, Barbara McCrery (David), Laura Merrill (Mark) and Eileen Man-ley (John), and 11 nieces and nephews, Timothy, John and Joseph Furlan, Justin and Leah Mer-rill, Caroline, Dylan, Liam and Evan Manley, and Faith and Lindsey McCrery.
He was predeceased by his father, Joseph L. Popp.
He will be buried in Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland, Ohio.