Lawrence Dean Harris

Lawrence Dean Harris, Professor Emeritus of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at the University of Florida, passed away on August 15, 2010, at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, from complications due to pneumonia. Larry was born in 1942 in Avoca, Iowa, the son of Curtis and Ina Harris. After receiving his B.S. from Iowa State University in 1962, he joined the Peace Corps and served 2 tours in Tanzania, where he helped establish one of the country's first game parks at Mkomozi. This work established his lifelong professional and personal commitment to wildlife conservation and landscape management for wildlife. He earned his Ph.D at Michigan State University, and in 1972 joined the University of Florida faculty in the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, where he remained until his retirement in 1999 due to health issues. Larry taught at UF for 27 years where he was known as a highly entertaining, sometimes controversial, but always inspiring educator. He was a pioneer in the area of landscape fragmentation and wildlife corridors, publishing many award winning, seminal papers and books. He conducted field research and conservation lands development throughout Florida and the Everglades, as well as in Tanzania, Botswana, Haiti, and Oregon. He helped establish and served on the Governor's Council on Florida Greenways; the Florida Wildlife Commission; and numerous other boards, and worked tirelessly throughout his life for environmental conservation. Larry was a passionate intellectual and book reader, and loved all kinds of discussions with all kinds of people on all kinds of subjects. He loved nothing better than being outdoors with colleagues, friends, students, and family, talking about natural history.

Larry is survived by his wife, Kathleen Deagan of Gainesville, his four children and their spouses, Christina and Larry D. Harris Jr. of Tallahassee; Gabrielle (Harris) and Todd Milliard of Stafford, Virginia; Cassie (Harris) and Stephan Saurer or Munich, Germany; Sarah and Mathew Harris of Tallahassee; and six grandchildren. He is also survived by brothers Charles Harris of Omaha, Nebraska and Verne Harris of Cincinnati, Ohio; and sisters Alta (Harris) Lambert of Omaha, Nebraska, Marylou (Harris) O'Brien of Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Marge (Harris) Prior of Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Burial will be at a private family service, and a public remembrance gathering will be arranged at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Larry's name to the Conservation Trust of Florida (www.conserveflorida.org) or Larry D. Harris Memorial Fund at UF's Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation. Checks should be made payable to the University of Florida Foundation, Inc. and mailed to the University of Florida, Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, P.O. Box 110430, Gainesville, FL 32611-0430.