L. Walter Macior
1926 – 2007
Personal History and Obituaries
Obituary written by Katrina Halasa (a friend) for the Akron Beacon Journal (http://www.legacy.com/Ohio/Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonId=957464).
Walter Macior, 81, passed away October 5, 2007, after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.
He was born on August 26, 1926 in Yonkers, New York. He was preceded in death by his parents, Walter Aloysius Macior and Alice Mary Macior. He is survived by many friends and colleagues as well as extended family.
Dr. Macior served in the United States Army during World War II as a Japanese linguist. He received his two degrees from Columbia University. He earned his Ph.D. in 1959 at The University of Wisconsin. Dr. Macior began teaching at the University of Akron in 1967. Dr. Macior was named a Distinguished Professor of Biology and was highly honored during his tenure at the University of Akron. The Alumni Association named Dr. Macior as the University of Akron’s Outstanding Teacher in May 1990. He has to his credit over 40 publications and was awarded numerous grants during his teaching career. Dr. Macior’s prowess in teaching and productivity in research were evidence of his range of talents, his mentorship to his students was evidence of his humanity. While Dr. Macior’s research took him to places like China, Nepal, Japan and Kashmir, his commitment to his students never wavered. No matter how heavy his teaching load, students always saw a witty and intellectually challenging professor. He once described himself as an “evolutionary theist” who thought it was possible to talk about evolution and still believe that creation was possible. He instilled this same kind of mental agility in his students. In addition to being a researcher and teacher, Dr. Macior was a mentor. One of his former students wrote, “He was the most influential person of my academic career.” Another wrote of a time when, after failing a test, he went to Dr. Macior’s office. “I well recall Dr. Macior’s posted office hours being followed by the words `or gladly by appointment.’ Would he really be glad to see me? To my surprise, he was! As I found out in subsequent years, Dr. Macior was glad to see all such poor fish that washed up at his door.” His friends and colleagues will miss this true Renaissance man.
At Dr. Macior’s request, there will be no services or calling hours. He will be interred with his parents at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, in Sleepy Hollow, New York. (Kucko-Anthony-Kertesz, 330-724-1281, www.kakfh.com) An Anthony Family Funeral Home
Announcement sent to professional colleagues:
With sadness I am writing to inform you that the prominent pollination ecologist and botanist L. Walter Macior, Distinguished Professor of Biology at the University of Akron died October 5, 2007. Dr. Walt Macior was one of the scientists who invigorated the field of pollination in the 1960’s and 70’s with careful field observations, detailed morphometric measurements, and an emphasis on field work and natural history. His studies were important in providing the context and basic knowledge necessary for the vigorous growth of pollination ecology in the 1980s, and current workers owe him a debt of gratitude for his efforts. Dr. Macior had a special interest in the genus Pedicularis, and spent much of his career (which extended through the 1990s) documenting functional diversity of floral form in that group, and in its bumble bee pollinators. Dr. Macior was also active in dealing with creationism. As a Franciscan priest, Dr. Macior offered a unique perspective on the topic, bridging scientific and theological views. Honored by the University of Akron as both a teacher and researcher, he will be greatly missed.
Online Obituaries
http://www.legacy.com/Ohio/Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonId=957464
http://obits.eons.com/obitplus/display_obit/Walter-Macior-Akron-OH-2007/81686227
The winter 2008 “Plant Science Bulletin” of the Botanical Society of America has a memorium article about Dr. Walter Macior (former UA Distinguished Professor in Biology), by Bruce Robart. http://botany.org/plantsciencebulletin/psb-2008-54-4.php#in_memory-1
Dr. Anthony Brach prominently mentions Dr. Macior in this article: Brach, A. R. 2008. Exploring botanical history using Ancestry.com. Harvard Papers in Botany 13(2): 245-251. http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.3100/1043-4534-13.2.245