Alan Weatherley passed away on September 1, 2012. Alan was a leader in environmental work in Cambridge Narrows for a number of years as a member of the Washademoak Environmentalists and a founder of the Canaan-Washademoak Watershed Association. Alan authored two novels and a non-fiction book on conservation. Alan will be greatly missed by all those who knew him, particularly those working to protect Washademoak Lake. Our condolences go out to Robena, his wife and partner in environmental work, and his family and friends.
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Obituary
Alan Weatherley passed away on September 1, 2012 at Everett Chalmers Hospital in Fredericton, NB, Canada after a brief illness. He was born on March 28, 1928 in Sydney, Australia, and was a third generation Australian. In his childhood Sydney was already a city of a million and a half, but with its warm temperate climate, its airy spaces, the proximity of its great Harbour and splendid ocean beaches it provided a uniquely open environment. Like many boys of his time, Alan roamed the spacious parklands and hills of its eastern suburbs. He loved the outdoors and developed an early fascination with nature and with sports. His career as a zoologist began when he attended Sydney University, from which he graduated in 1949 with a BSc. He received an MSc from the University of Tasmania in 1959 and a PhD from the University of Glasgow in 1961. He began his major scientific research in freshwater biology (especially on fish) in Tasmania (1951-57), continued in Scotland (1958-60) and subsequently at the Australian National University from 1961-73 where he became a Reader in Zoology. He continued fish investigations as Professor of Fishery Biology at University of Tromsø, Norway (1974-75) and as Professor of Zoology at the University of Toronto (1975-93). He was a co-founder of the Australian Society for Limnology (ASL) and its President in 1965. He was also Secretary of the Ecological Society of Australia and a member of the Executive Committee of the Great Barrier Reef Committee. He was active for many years in teaching and supervising students in numerous aspects of animal biology. He was awarded the Gold Medal of the ASL in Australia and the Publication Award of The Wildlife Society in North America for his scientific research and writings. He and his wife Robena Weatherley were active members of Science for Peace for ten years in Toronto. He also became involved in nature conservation problems beginning in 1961, and continued to work seriously in conservation with Robena, centred on the area where they lived in New Brunswick following his retirement from the University of Toronto. Alan and Robena were early members of Washademoak Environmentalists and later were co-founders of the Canaan-Washademoak Watershed Association. Alan was keenly interested in the arts of writing and painting and during his retirement became a serious painter and published two novels as well as a nonfiction book on conservation. In all intellectual matters that interested him Alan maintained a critical and often skeptical approach and looked for strong, reliable evidence. During his life he was active in recreational sports, including cricket, tennis and squash, and remained very interested in participating as a spectator when unable to participate actively. His love of the outdoors, nature and scenery continued.
Alan Weatherley is survived by his wife Robena of Cambridge-Narrows, NB, his stepdaughter Lisa Jeffrey of Toronto (Robena's daughter) and his two children from his first marriage to Jacqueline Robin (Katherine of Canberra and Robert of Sydney, Australia) as well as his granddaughters Kylie of Canberra (Katherine's daughter) and Eleanor (Lisa's daughter).
According to Alan's wishes, there will be no funeral service or formal visiting. A memorial will take place on Monday, September 17 at 7 pm at the Cambridge-Narrows Municipal Building. No flowers by request. For those wishing to make donations in Alan's memory, we suggest that they may be made to the following organizations:
1. Everett Chalmers Hospital Foundation, Fredericton, NB
[email protected]">[email protected]
2. Conservation Council of New Brunswick
180 St. John St
Fredericton, NB E3B 4A9
3. Canaan-Washademoak Watershed Association
c/o 25 Colonial Heights, Fredericton, NB E3B 5M2
McAdam's Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements. Condolences may be made online at www.mcadamsfh.com.
