Francis Hollis Fay (1927-1994)

Abstract

This obituary honours the achievements of Francis H. Fay (Bud) who was a distinguished marine mammalogist, a dedicated scholar, and a man of unwavering integrity who inspired colleagues, students, and friends. Bud's life was dedicated to the study of the life history of the Pacific walrus. This study commenced on St. Lawrence Island, Alaska, where his teachers, especially Charles and Vernon Slwooko, taught him a great deal about walrus ecology, while providing him with specimens he used to describe the reproduction, growth, and anatomy of Pacific Walruses, thus relying on, and recognizing the importance of, indigenous knowledge. In 1982 Bud published his monograph on walruses, Ecology and Biology of the Pacific Walrus, Odobenus rosmarus". The book was a masterful piece of scholarship and reflected not only years of hard work but also Bud's painstaking attention to detail. He did not stop there, however, and he continued to investigate walrus taxonomy, population biology, and ecology right up until the time of his death. His relentless search for knowledge of walruses led him to the Russian literature, and over the years he and Barbara carefully over 120 scientific articles from Russian into English. ... Bud was dedicated to international cooperation in research and management, as demonstrated by the enthusiasm with which he shared his translations of Russian literature and by his early and continuous activity as a member of the Steering-Planning Committee of the Marine Mammal Project under the U.S.-U.S.S.R. Agreement on Environmental Protection." ... [His passion for research, his editing, and his humor are greatly missed.]