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George Ramseur Obituary
July 19, 1926 - March 24, 2024
George S. Ramseur, Sr. of Sewanee, Tennessee died peacefully March 24, 2024, surrounded by his family.
He is survived by his son George Ramseur, Jr. (Cynthia); daughters Suzanne Cahoon and Kathryn Ramseur (Michael Riley); brother Henry Ramseur (Penina); sister Nancy McMurray (Birch); grandchildren Gilbert Ramseur (Bethany), Allie Cahoon, and Carolyn Ramseur (Cory Battey); two great-grandchildren, and eight nephews and nieces. He was preceded in death by his wife of 65 years, Ruth Ramseur; brothers Bill Ramseur and Walter Ramseur; and son-in-law Paul Cahoon.
George served in the U.S. Navy's pilot training program during World War II before earning his B.A. from Elon College in 1948. He earned both an M.Ed. and a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
George and Ruth moved to Sewanee in 1958, when he joined the faculty of the University of the South as a professor of biology. He served as department chair from 1984 to 1989 and was instrumental in advancing the University's reputation as a premier undergraduate institution for the study of biology and environmental sciences. George was a tireless advocate for education in the field, and taught courses in general botany, plant ecology, plant taxonomy, plant physiology, and general biology for 35 years until retiring as professor emeritus in 1993.
In 1959, George founded the Sewanee Herbarium to provide student research opportunities in field botany and plant conservation through faculty and peer-mentored programs. As an ecologist and conservationist, he was committed to protecting the virgin forests of the University of the South domain.
George was an active member of St. Mark St. Paul, serving on the vestry, and in the roles of both Jr. Warden and Sr. Warden.
A service will be held on April 19 at 2 p.m. in All Saints' Chapel, with a reception to follow.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Episcopal Relief and Development fund (support.episcopalrelief.org) or to the Sewanee Herbarium (sewanee.edu; select Give and designate your gift for Sewanee Herbarium).
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for George Ramseur
1 Entry
Jeanne M Bowman
April 10, 2024
May your hearts soon be filled with wonderful memories of joyful times together as you celebrate a life well lived.
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