William Hazen
CANTON — William Hazen, age 84, passed away March 3, 2010 at the Casa De Las Campanas Retirement Community, San Diego, Calif.
Born June 4, 1925 in Canton, N.Y., son of the late DeForest and Ada (Sheets) Hazen, he graduated from Canton High School, St. Lawrence University and graduate school at the University of Michigan with a PhD in Zoology.
He taught at the University of Chicago for several years. In 1962 he joined the faculty of San Diego State University from where he retired in 1988.
Her served his country in WWII as a Japanese interpreter with the occupation forces.
He authored a best-selling ecology book of the 1960's, spent time at the National Science Foundation as Program Director for Ecosystem Analysis and a sabbatical at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama.
He was predeceased by his sister Helen (Hazen) Collison. He is survived by a niece Elaine (Collison) Baker of Hermon and great and great-great nieces and nephews.
Burial will be at the convenience of the family in Evergreen Cemetery.
He will be remembered by friends, colleagues and relatives as a distinguished gentlemanly true scholar, be it biology, language, art, music, sports or gourmet cooking. Many former students kept in touch with him for many years, some becoming lifelong friends. He certainly enriched many lives.
