William E. Wallner

1936 - 2020

William E Wallner-beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, athlete, entomologist, and friend to many-died on April 3rd, 2020 of complications resulting from Covid-19. William (known to most as Bill) was born in Greenfield, MA on November 25, 1936 to William and Mary Wallner, the second of five children.

Bill Wallner was a superstar on the football field, as well as in the scientific community. He excelled as an entomologist with the US Department of Agriculture up to and beyond retirement. Bill earned a B.S. in entomology from the University of Connecticut. While there, he played varsity football, and became co-captain of the team. His prowess on the field earned him All-Yankee Conference guard, and his popularity among his fellow students earned him the honor of being named the first ever "Mr. UConn." Bill went on to pursue his Ph.D at Cornell University, where he met the love of his life and his future wife, Amanda Ober, who was an undergraduate at Ithaca College pursuing her degree in opera and voice. He was so smitten; he even feigned a love of classical music while courting her. They married and moved to East Lansing, Michigan, where Bill joined the faculty at Michigan State University.

In 1976, he joined the U.S. Forest Service as Director of the Center for Biological control of Forest Pests in Hamden, Connecticut, and took on a teaching appointment at Yale University. The Wallner family moved back east into a neglected lot in the Sachem's Head neighborhood of Guilford, CT. As he did with everything, Bill poured himself body and soul into improving that home and his surrounding community, actively serving on the Sachem's Head Association well into his seventies.

As specialist on the Asian Gypsy moth with the USDA, Dr. Wallner made many trips to the Soviet Union and spent six months there as a U.S. Academy of Sciences Scholar. This collaboration led to his receiving a commendation from the Siberian Academy of Sciences for "Developing Forest Research Collaborations Between the USSR and the USA." His expertise in the field took him around the world, to countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, China, and Mexico. He published over 100 scientific articles, with one of his papers earning recognition in 2008 as "outstand paper of the year" by the editors of Environmental Entomology. Bill helped formulate the Exotic Forest Pest Information System of the North American Forestry Commission, which has implication for global trade. He was received the USDA's highest award for Superior Service in 1993. This was the first time anyone from the U.S. Forest Service had received this award.

Not only was Bill successful in his study of Lymantria dispar asiatica, but he was also a successful human being. He was a considerate, compassionate and loyal friend. He and his wife Amanda were known to celebrate often with family and friends and welcomed any and all into their home. As one family member said "He loved hard & we all loved him back." He will be missed far and wide, but we are all better for knowing him.

Bill is survived by his daughters, Christine Wallner and Abbie Leabo; his sisters, Marie Campbell, Ginny Wesoloski, Carol Wandoloski and Joan Wenzel; grandchildren, Kaya and Jasper Leabo; son-in-law Logan Leabo, and beloved brothers and sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his wife of 54 years, Amanda Ober Wallner.

A memorial service will be held when it's possible to come together and celebrate the life of this wonderful man. In the meanwhile, in lieu of flowers, please feel free to donate to the following charity or foundation in his honor:

Connecticut Food Bank (http://www.ctfoodbank.org/) or Fisher Center for Alzheimer's (https://www.alzinfo.org/)