| Notes |
- B. J. Verts
Corvallis Gazette-Times
January 13, 2012 8:00 am
April 9, 1927 - Dec. 29, 2011
B.J. Verts died Dec. 29 in Corvallis, following an infection with Cryptococcus gattii. He was 84.
He was born to William Trigg and Jeanette Poindexter Verts on April 9, 1927, in Nelson, Mo. He lived in Nelson until the age of 9, when his father died, at which time he moved to Arrow Rock, Mo., to live with his maternal grandmother, Lelia May Rucker Poindexter, and aunt, Sarah Louise (Peggy) Poindexter Yeagle. In 1939, B.J. moved to Shelbina, Mo., when his mother remarried.
He joined the U.S. Navy in June 1945, and served as a Pharmacist's Mate Second in the South Pacific. He was honorably discharged June 2, 1948. He married Lita Jeanne Nash on Aug. 29, 1954; they were divorced Nov. 12, 1975. They had one son, William Trigg Verts II (born Sept. 22, 1955); and one granddaughter, Rachel Jane Verts (born Dec. 28, 1995). He married Leslie Nike Carraway on Nov. 16, 1979.
Always interested in gaining an advanced education, B.J. obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in 1954 from the University of Missouri - Columbia, and a master's degree in 1956 and a doctorate in 1965 from Southern Illinois University. He worked as a mammalogist for the Illinois Natural History Survey from 1957 to 1965. In May 1965, he arrived at Oregon State University in Corvallis to begin a 32-year career as a mammalogist and professor of wildlife sciences.
During his career as a scientist, he published 104 scientific papers, mostly on mammals. More than half of these papers were published jointly with Leslie, who also is a mammalogist. He also published the books "The Biology of the Striped Skunk" (in 1967), three editions of the laboratory manual "Keys to the Mammals of Oregon" (in 1971, 1978 and 1983), and "Land Mammals of Oregon" with Leslie in 1998.
After his divorce in 1975, he became an excellent cook, and published the cookbook "Buttered-Side Down" in 2003. During retirement, he spent part of his days working in his wood shop, producing a large variety of fine-quality woodcraft and, his particular favorite, wooden children's toys, all of which he sold at a series of autumn festivals.
The rest of his time was spent working in his large vegetable garden; working with his last two (of eight) English Springer Spaniels, Poly and Lewis; and being with family. Concerned with the hunger many people in the Corvallis community experienced, he provided Community Outreach with large quantities of groceries during the winter so that fewer people would go hungry during the cold weather.
He is survived by his wife of 32 years, Leslie Nike Carraway Verts; son and his wife, William Trigg Verts II and Catherine Hodgkins Verts; and granddaughter, Rachel Jane Verts.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be sent to Community Outreach, 865 N.W. Reiman Ave., Corvallis OR 97330.
At this time, no memorial service is planned.
|
1927 - 2011
