April 22, 2005
The Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering is deeply saddened to report that Kenan Professor Robert G. Wetzel passed away at his home on April 18, 2005. This is a tragic loss for the family, his friends and colleagues at UNC, his many past students, and the entire aquatic and limnology research communities. Thankfully, Dr. Miller was able to present Professor Wetzel with his latest award: the Hutchinson Science Laureate Award.A memorial service and reception will be held on Friday, the twenty-ninth of April at one o’clock p.m. in the Banquet Hall of the John Motley Morehead Building (http://www.moreheadplanetarium.org), 250 East Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Eulogy:
Written by JoAnn Burkholder
The paths certain gifted people take through their lives are marked with such vision that their thoughts and actions change entire disciplines. Dr. Robert G. Wetzel, a true leader in the field of freshwater science, was such a person.

Several decades ago when freshwater biology focused almost entirely on fish, as a young man he quietly stood on the shore of a small lake in the upper Midwest and grasped what many had overlooked – the enormous importance of the plants of the marshy fringes, the wetland areas, in controlling the fundamental functioning of freshwater ecosystems. His thoughts, and the brilliant synthesis of all aspects of lakes and streams in his writings – 30 books and 400+ publications, including the definitive book of this field – completely changed scientific understanding of how freshwater ecosystems work.

Freshwater ecosystems were a great passion in Dr. Wetzel’s life. He understood them intimately, and profoundly respected them. He foresaw, many years ago, what is now coming to pass: “The ruthless waste and inefficient use and management of fresh waters will haunt our society as the single most pervasive problem of the 21st century. We simply cannot continue to ignore that water is an economic part of everything we do, make, use – water must be so valued.”

His other great passion was his family – Carol, his wife of 45 years; his four children, Paul, Pam, Tim, and Kristy; and nine grandchildren. Carol describes him as “truly my soul mate.” She often accompanied her husband on his travels, and those who saw them together noted a sense of deep companionship and happiness quietly conveyed through their interactions. His children recall his guiding presence throughout their lives. “Our Dad told us that we could be anything we wanted to be, as long as we did our very best.”

Dr. Wetzel’s parents immigrated to the United States from Germany before he was born, and as a small child he learned German before he learned English. He was proficient in reading six languages, and loved to create paintings of the lakes and streams he studied.

Dr. Wetzel’s definitive treatise on freshwater ecosystems evolved through three editions. He would often smile when describing the first and second editions, explaining that he had asked several of his students to “help him translate his writing into English.” It took him nearly 17 years to write the third edition, Limnology – Lake and River Ecosystems, which he completed four years before the end of his life. Of all of his prolific writings, this is his masterpiece. It will stand as the seminal treatise on freshwater ecosystems for many years to come. The treatise is a remarkable synthesis, unparalleled in this field. The writing is powerful. One comes away from this book palpably feeling the breadth of Dr. Wetzel’s knowledge, and awe-inspired by his ability to weave seemingly unrelated, detailed information and make freshwater ecosystems come alive, in all of their wonderful complexity. The writing is also powerful because he had decided to break the mold of “dry scientific presentation.” His writing is filled with a quiet passion, and a deep concern for the future of this world because of the general, progressive degradation of water quality and the careless misuse of water resources that he had seen in all of his travels. The list of awards for his outstanding scientific contributions, including the most prestigious awards in his field, stand in tribute to his integrity. Throughout his life Dr. Wetzel seemed unchanged by all the recognition. In the five-month battle he lost with lung cancer, hundreds of letters and calls poured in from people all over the world, who recounted the many special ways in which he changed their lives for the better. Young students, school teachers, bus drivers, janitors, as well as friends and colleagues in science, all expressed affection, concern, and gratitude for his having sincerely cared about their lives, and for his kindness in so many helpful actions.

We have lost a giant in aquatic science, whose many contributions will influence the field throughout this century. His legacy extends, as well, to the many people whose lives he touched. Dr. Robert Wetzel left this world much richer from the pathway he blazed through it.

The Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill is planning a memorial service for Dr. Wetzel in celebration of his life on April 29, from 1:00 to 3:00 PM in the Banquet Hall at Morehead Planetarium, Franklin St. The Wetzel family is also planning a memorial service on June 25 at 11:00 AM at Bethlehem United Church of Christ, 423 South Fourth Avenue in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Contributions in honor of his memory may be sent to the Robert G. Wetzel Memorial Fund, c/o the International Association for the Study of Inland Waters (SIL), Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, 124 Rosenau Hall, CB# 7431, UNC-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7431. This fund helps to support students in the study of freshwaters.

For further information please contact Rebecca Riggsbee Lloyd either by phone at 919 966 4175 or by email at Rebecca_Lloyd@unc.edu

 

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