William Scott Reeburgh

Dr. William Scott Reeburgh 1940 - 2021 Professor Emeritus Dr. William Scott Reeburgh (Bill) passed away peacefully at his home in Vancouver, WA, on July 9, 2021. Bill was born in Port Arthur, TX, on February 25, 1940, and was the son of Scott Leverett Reeburgh, Jr. and Helen Hamilton (Focht) Reeburgh. Bill was an avid reader and researcher, and had a lifelong love of learning, science, and service. As a youth, he was an active member of the Boy Scouts of America and earned his Eagle Rank at age 13. Bill's father tragically passed away when Bill was only 14. In their last conversation, his father emphasized to him that he could accomplish anything if he was focused and worked hard. Much of Bill's life and work was shaped by these words from his father, and the guidance and leadership his lifelong experience in Boy Scouts provided. Bill attended the University of Oklahoma where he received his B.S. (Chemistry) in 1961 and was a member of the Beta Theta Pi Fraternity. He combined his knowledge of chemistry with his interest in oceanography through his graduate studies at Johns Hopkins University. During the summers of 1962 and 1963, Bill studied animal-sediment relationships in the carbonate sediments around Bermuda. The first summer, he met Carelyn Yerkes, from Allentown, PA. They were married in June 1963 and lived in Baltimore, MD while Bill finished his graduate studies at Johns Hopkins University, receiving a Ph.D. (Oceanography) in 1967. In 1968, Bill moved his family to Alaska, where he was a professor of Marine Science at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Bill's research contributed to better understanding the global methane cycle, by studying the natural production and destruction of methane, an important greenhouse gas, in oxygen-depleted environments. His work suggested that microbes capable of living in marine sediment and tundra soil environments lacking oxygen destroyed a large amount of methane produced there before it was released into the atmosphere. Bill enjoyed the outdoors and his time doing fieldwork that took him to far places including Skan Bay, Cariaco Basin, Russell Fjord, the Black Sea, and the Toolik Field Station along the Dalton Highway. He was also active in the Fairbanks community where he was heavily involved in officiating cross country ski races, led Cub Scout Pack 92 during the pipeline boom, and started Boy Scout Troop 78 where both his sons were Scouts. In 1993, Bill was recruited to the University of California, Irvine where he was one of the key members responsible for proposing and founding the Department of Earth System Science - the first department in the nation founded specifically to study the earth as a system. With his graduate students, he continued to research methane geochemistry in aquatic and terrestrial systems, emphasizing the roles of microbially-mediated consumption of methane. He served as Department Chair from 2000 - 2003 and was an elected Fellow of the American Geophysical Union (2001), the American Academy of Microbiology (2007), American Association for the Advancement of Science (2009) and the Geochemical Society and European Association of Geochemistry (2018). Bill retired in 2009 and settled in Vancouver, WA with his wife, Carelyn, to be closer to family. In his retirement, Bill enjoyed woodworking, spending time with his children and grandchildren, and companionship in his Australian Shepherd, "Buddy" who never left his side. Bill was active in the East Woods Presbyterian Church where he served as Deacon since 2019. He continued to be involved in the scientific community, serving in various advisory roles, and following the research of others and the graduate students he guided through his career. Bill believed advancements were made through discovering, interpreting, and communicating new knowledge among different disciplines. As a result, he funded Carelyn Y. and William S. Reeburgh lectures at the University of California, Irvine, American Geophysical Union, and the Geochemical Society. The lectures recognize scientists making significant contributions to the fields of global and marine biogeochemistry through novel measurements. Bill is survived by his three children, Scott Reeburgh (Lori) of Vancouver, WA, Nancy Bacon (Scott) of Boring, OR, and Peter Reeburgh (Cheri) of Golden, CO; six grandchildren, Jack Reeburgh, Claire Reeburgh, Jonathan Bacon, Nicholas Bacon, Bryce Reeburgh, and Torrey Reeburgh; two sisters, Margaret Williams (Bob) of Pampa, TX, and Laura Keller (Tom) of St. Augustine, FL; numerous cousins; and his academic family of the 12 graduate students he guided.

William Scott Reeburgh

February 25, 1940 - July 9, 2021