November 3, 2011

 

Dr. Lorne Graham "Gray" Wilson passed away on October 22, 2011 after a long illness. For over 30 years, he was engaged in hydrologic research at the University of Arizona, first at the Water Resources Research Center, then eventually teaching in the Department of Hydrology and Water Resources.  His research and teaching contributions helped make that department one of the leading hydrology programs in the world.

 

The number of students who learned from him must be numbered in the many hundreds, perhaps thousands.  His research into groundwater recharge and vadose zone monitoring proved invaluable to large numbers of professionals.  As an outdoors-oriented guy, he fit well into the field of hydrology.  He officially retired from the Department of Hydrology and Water Resources in 1994, but he never lost his interest in hydrology, never quit working, and never ceased to teach and influence others.

 

In 2003, the Arizona Hydrological Society presented L. Gray Wilson with the AHS Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his long career as a research hydrologist and teacher.  Then and now, he epitomized the AHS ideal of the professional who educates others and advances the science of hydrology.

 

L. Gray Wilson will be missed by everyone with an interest in water resources. The sympathies of the entire Arizona Hydrological Society go out to his family and friends. We have lost someone truly irreplaceable.