[Leps-l] Raymond Walter Neck Jr. (1946 - 2017)

[Mike Quinn]

Obituary

Raymond Walter NECK Jr.

Raymond Walter Neck Jr., PhD was born Nov. 12, 1946 to Raymond Walter Neck
and Joyce Stansbury Neck in Brownsville, Texas. He died on March 23, 2017
in Houston, Texas. Preceded in death by his parents and son, Patrick Kent
Neck. He is survived by his wife, Mary Eleanor Rentfro Neck; daughter, Anna
Kristine Nickless (John Michael) of Corpus Christi; brother, Stephen Neck
(Nora); and many cousins and inlaws. Raymond graduated from Brownsville
High School in 1964 and Texas Southmost College in 1966. He continued his
education at the University of Texas in Austin culminating with a PhD in
Biology in 1974. Raymond was a Conservation Biologist in Master Planning
for Texas Parks and Wildlife until 1991. Dr. Neck was a member and past
president of the Texas Organization for Endangered Species. He was a member
of the American Malacological Union serving as the editor of the Newsletter
(1990 - 1993) and the Lepidopterist Society (1968 - 2013). In 1991, he and
Pinke moved to Houston to be the Curator of Invertebrates for the Houston
Museum of Natural Science. He was the Director in Planning for the Cockrell
Butterfly Center. Always a curious and avid scientist, he was published
almost 200 times and was the author of the state-wide field guide, "The
Butterflies of Texas", 1996, a Texas Monthly Field Guide. He was a
co-author of "Freshwater Mussels of Texas", 1996. Unfortunately, health
problems in 1993 forced him to retire from his much loved professional
life. The next 23 years he lived quietly with his wife as his sole
caregiver until his death only 5 months prior to their 50th wedding
anniversary. Always courteous and kind, he endured his disability and
fragile health with courage and dignity. Raymond will be interred in
Assumption Cemetery next to his son, Patrick, in Austin, Texas. No services
as he wished. Be kind; be compassionate; and make a call to someone you
care about while they are still here. Condolences may be offered at

- See more at:
http://m.legacy.com/obituaries/statesman/obituary.aspx?n=raymond-walter-neck-jr&pid=184798458&referrer=0&preview=True#sthash.uCSOpUGr.dpuf
or: http://bit.ly/2kOGeIx


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David Riskind at TPWD sent me the above obituary. I was unaware of
Raymond's passing. He was probably the first entomologist that Parks &
Wildlife ever hired.

Raymond was probably best known for publishing the first butterfly guide
for Texas. In his acknowledgements he recognizes "William H Calvert,
Christopher J. Durden, H. Avery Freemen, the late Perry A Glick, and Roy O.
Kendall" among others.

Neck, R.W. 1996. A field guide to butterflies of Texas. Gulf Publishing
Co., Houston. xvii + 323.

Here's a link to most of the Lep papers Raymond published:

http://texasento.net/txpapers.htm#N

I only had the pleasure of meeting Raymond and Pinke once at a butterfly
presentation he gave at one of the first Texas Butterfly Festivals in
Mission, TX.

Mike Quinn, Austin
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