[Coral-List] Passing of Barbara Lidz

[William Precht]

All,

It is with a heavy heart that I am passing along the sad news of the
passing of Barbara Lidz.

The coral reef community has lost a dear friend and distinguished scientist.

Just type the following key words into Google Scholar "Barbara Lidz Coral
Reefs" and you will get a small glimpse of the impact she had on the coral
reef scientific community during her storied career.

Attached below is a short obituary written by her long-time colleague and
dear friend, Gene Shinn.

Barbara H. Lidz 1940- 2019

 The Geology profession lost one of its greats on September 26, 2019.
Barbara H. Lidz passed away at Bayfront Hospital due to respiratory failure
brought on by pneumonia.  Barbara was a well-known research geologist
recently retired from the U.S. Geological Survey. She was a graduate of
Smith College before beginning a long history of contributions in the field
of micropaleontology. She was most happy when peering into a microscope
identifying tiny organisms with long unpronounceable names. Later in her
career she prepared complicated diagrams for publication and comprehensive
maps of Florida’s coral reef ecosystems. She spent many days at sea on
research vessels both large and small and served as editor of Special
Publications for the Society of Sedimentary Geology. During that time, she
authored and coauthored dozens of scientific publications. Her career
culminated with the position of scientist emerita with the U.S. Geological
Survey Coastal and Marine Science Center in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Before moving to St. Petersburg, she held every office in the Miami
Geological Society including Editor, Vice President, and President. Barbara
conducted research at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine
and Atmospheric Science before joining the Department of Interior U. S.
Geological Survey where she worked at a field station on Fisher Island for
15 years. Barbara moved to St. Petersburg in 1989 where she conducted
research in the USGS office located near the University of South Florida
College of Marine Science.

Barbara’s husband, Louis Lidz and daughter Carolyn Elizabeth Lidz
predeceased her in 1967. She is survived by her daughter Lauralee from
Scarborough, Maine, a sister, Darcy Holland from Newbury, Massachusetts,  a
brother, John Holland from Copper City, Michigan, two nieces, Caitlin
Cardell Holland of New London, New Hampshire, and Cindy Leberman of
Chester, New Jersey, and one nephew, Peter Goulazian of Woodstock,
Vermont.  Barbara also leaves her beloved cat, Peaches.
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I personally had the good fortune to overlap with Barbara on Fisher Island
in the late 1980's and like many that had the opportunity to work with her
throughout her professional career, we will all miss her dearly.

For more about Barbara's amazing career see link below written at the time
of her retirement from the USGS.

https://archive.usgs.gov/archive/sites/soundwaves.usgs.gov/2014/02/staff.html


Respectfully,

Bill
-- 
William F. Precht

 “You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice
you have”

Bob Marley