Obituary of John R. Calaprice PhD

It is with deepest sadness, yet with celebration of his life, that the children and grandchildren of John R. Calaprice, PhD wish to commemorate his passing, on January 14, 2018. Our father was a warrior of principle, courageous in the face of the status quo, and a champion of the environment before it was popular to defend. If you have witnessed salmon returning to our rivers and streams, it is at least in part due to the years of research he devoted to bringing them back. In his long professional life as an ecologist, geneticist, and marine biologist, he also developed new scientific methods for investigating the ecologies and life histories of Atlantic and Pacific tuna, as senior scientist with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. As a consultant for the California Coastal Commission, he had major responsibility for evaluating effects of nuclear power generation on coastal marine organisms. Later, in semi-retirement, he assisted in the formation of the Russian River Watershed Association and advocated for protection of the Eel River. In recent years, after moving to Felton, he fervently supported efforts to educate the Central Coast community, especially high school and college students, about global warming and climate disruption, and to empower citizens to seek and implement solutions. Always a man of his word and a man of integrity, our patriarch quietly and peacefully passed away in his sleep at 84 years of age. Surrounded by his children and grandchildren, he felt no fear, no pain. Always a keen observer and driven by enthusiasm and curiosity, it is no wonder that his last request was for us to wish him well as he explores the afterlife. May he continue in his quest for the great answers to the great questions of the universe as he explores the ecosystems of the beyond. With love, Clare, Joseph, and Chris Calaprice, together with their children and grandchildren.