Dr. Owen James Sexton
Dr. Owen James Sexton, 91, passed away peacefully on May 31, 2018, at his home in Saint Louis County, surrounded by family.
Owen was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Gordon and Elizabeth Sexton (nee Evans). He grew up in Merchantville, New Jersey where he had a back yard zoo of rabbits and turtles. Like many boys of his time, Owen enlisted in army during World War II where he served in Northern Italy. After the war, Owen received his undergraduate degree from Oberlin University. He then completed his Masters and Ph.D. at the University of Michigan. He went on to a career as a Professor of Biology at Washington University in St. Louis, and was awarded emeritus status upon retirement.
During his more than 45 year tenure with Washington University, Owen taught and mentored thousands of undergraduate and hundreds of graduate students. He served as an integral member in the founding of the Tyson Research Center, and served as its director from 1996 to 1999. He was a lifelong biologist primarily studying snakes, turtles, and salamanders with an emphasis in patterns of population change over time. His field work took place in the Midwest as well as Panama, the Yucatan peninsula, Costa Rica, and Belize. In the 1960s, his turtle egg studies were instrumental in identifying the effects of run off pollutants on wildlife breeding and population dynamics. During the Great Flood of 1993, Owen provided his expertise in population ecology to help manage the devastation to wildlife along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. Later in life, he combined his population studies with historical data to complete writings about the environmental and ecological changes in Missouri from the time of Lewis and Clark to the present day. In addition to his professional and academic contributions at Washington University and the Tyson Research Center, Owen spent many summers teaching field ecology at the University of Michigan
Owen was a founding and board member of the Missouri Prairie Foundation. This foundation was created in the 1960s for the permanent protection of prairie habitat and grasslands. To date, the Missouri Prairie Foundation manages over 3,000 acres of prairies here in Missouri.
Together with Marlin and Carol Perkins, Owen was part of the group that founded the Endangered Wolf Sanctuary located in Washington University’s Tyson Research Center. What began as an effort to save a University City wolf named Sofie grew into a group of scientists that have been leaders in the recovery of the endangered grey wolf
Owen is survived by his wife of 66 years, Mildred Sexton (nee Bloomsburg). He leaves behind a cherished and well-loved family of four children, Ken, Jean, Ann, and Carolyn, as well as eight grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate memorials to the Owen Sexton Research Fund at Washington University, Campus Box 1082, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130-4899
https://tyson.wustl.edu/owen-sexton-fellowship/
It has been an honor to know him.
RIP
I will always cherish my friendship with Owen and appreciate all he did to make the world a better place. His mentoring and leadership helped many of us as students and colleagues. Helping to develop the Tyson Research Center was a major accomplishment. His commitment to understanding the ecology and biodiversity of tropical ecosystems leaves an important legacy for generations to come. He helped me in so many ways that I feel extremely fortunate to have shared some time with him.
Owen influenced my life and career in many ways. He was uniquely able to pass his insights as to how natural systems work to his many students. I feel fortunate that I was one.
Dr. Sexton was one of my teachers in undergraduate biology at Washington University when I was a premedical student. Although it has been almost 60 years since I last saw and spoke with him, I remember him well as a clear, articulate, interesting,and enjoyable teacher who cared about his students and taught me many things. He was a positive influence on my career.
I was so sorry to hear about Owen’s passing. I met Owen several years after coming to UMSL as a faculty member in animal behavior, biology, in 1976. Over the years we saw each other at meetings, the herp evening discussion group at Wash. U., during a sabbatical year I did at Wash. U., at Shakespeare plays, and, once, even hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park, where we ran into each other by accident! I was always struck by Owen’s kindness, friendliness, and unpretentiousness. I feel honored to have known him. My condolences to his beloved family.
I was very lucky to have Owen supervise my undergraduate research at Wash U (1978-79).
He spent many hours helping me to understand how science works, and sharing his love for all things reptilian. His enthusiasm, patience, and wisdom left a lasting imprint.
I am so sad to hear of Owen?s passing. Owen was on my PhD committee in the 1990?s. I had never done field work before coming to graduate school, and he taught me ecology and field methods, which I remember to this day. I cherished the time he took to show us natural history, and how to document it well. Those lessons at his beloved Tyson research center and the time he took to drive us around the county to look at the effects of flooding were invaluable. He was always willing to meet with me, and was a huge influence on my PhD. His gentle guidance on incorporating the natural world into modern hypothesis-driven studies are lessons I reflect upon to this day. I also greatly admired the time he took to educate future doctors, members of the public, and non-experts in biology, because he understood the importance of stewardship of this world of ours. He was a tremendous mentor to so many. I was so lucky to know him. My deepest condolences to his family and friends.
Owen had a major influence on my work. I was fortunate to be in a Masters program at Washington University when he was teaching Conservation Biology in a series of ecology courses to non-science graduate students at Tysons Research Center. To this day I quote him when teaching natural history and art, about the importance of having a connection to the natural world near and far. He inspired me as I am sure he did so many others.
Owen was my mentor, friend, and field partner. In addition to our field days at Sandy Ridge, I will always cherish our lunches at the Art Museum. He taught me herpetology, botany and ecology, but most of all, he showed me that kindness is the most important virtue.
Professor Sexton was a bright light in my undergraduate studies at Wash U. Though its been years,I remember his class like yesterday. Am honored to have learned and known him.
Rest In Peace uncle OJ