Wiley, A. J.

Biodiversity Heritage Library OAI Repository

Page 222
OBITUARY
ALEXANDER JOHN WILEY
Vol.XXIII. No.5 (102)
It is withthedeepestregretweagainrecordin thesepagesthepassingof
anothermemberof thisSociety,AlexWileyof Kabete. Hehadbeenamember
for manyyears,andat thetimeof hisdeath,attheageof only42,on the17th
September,1959,wasalsoaservingmemberof ourCommittee.
Alex wastheonly sonof oneof Kenya'searlycoffeepioneers,Mr. Tom
Wileyof Ruiru,andafterearlyschoolingin Englandandlaterat St.Aidan's,
Grahamstown,SouthMrica, he returnedto Kenyain 1936to a postin the
VeterinaryLaboratoryat Kabete. He hadintendedto trainasa Veterinary
Surgeon,andhadindeedstartedhisUniversitycareerin Londonin 1945,when
ill-healthforcedhimto giveuphisstudiesandreturnto Kenya,whereheagain
resumedduty at Kabete,filling with distinctionin latteryearsthe post of
Zoologistin the Zoologicaland TsetseResearchSection. His reputation
asanauthorityon Mrican tickswasknownfar beyondthebordersof Kenya,
and his scientificresearchon these,and latterlyon helminthology,was
distinguishedbya meticulousandpainstakingability.
But therewasscarcelya branchof naturalhistoryin whichAlex wasnot
alsodeeplyinterested,andin hismethodicalfashionhefirststudiedandbecame
widelyknownfor his interestin butterflies,publishinga paperon thesewith
Mr. J. Hudsonin thisJournal,whichhasguidedthefirststepsof manyKenya
boysin thisfascinatingstudysincethen. Heevenamassedavaluablecollection
of naturalhistory stamps,and botanicalsubjects,particularlypoisonous
plants,wereof greatinteresto him. Latterlyhetookupthestudyof African
cowries,of whichhiscollectionsoonbecameknownwidelyoverseas,andon
whichhisfieldnotesandobservationswereoutstandingfortheiraccuracyand
detail.
Birdswereperhapshis deepestlove,andof thesehis fieldknowledgewas
mostextensive.He wasin additiona photographerof considerableskill,his
still picturesand filmsof birds and othernaturalhistorysubjectsbeingof
mostdelightfulquality.
To Alex,Kenyawashome,andhisquiet,unassuming,butfirmpersonality
will bemissedby all, not leastby our Committeeto whosedeliberationshe
contributedmuchsoundwisdominhisshortperiodof service.Onthepersonal
side,hischeerful,steadyfriendshipwill notbeeasilyreplaced;andtohiswidow
Mary,andtheirthreechildrenwho sharedhis loveof nature,weextendour
deepestsympathyin theirloss.
V. D.vS.


Obituary

http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/content/part/EANHS/XXIII_No.5_102__222_1960_WileyObit.pdf

Obituary

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Biodiversity Heritage Library OAI Repository