Beloved WMU emeritus geology professor passes away
Dr. Richard Passero, longtime resident of Kalamazoo, Michigan, passed away at Yale New Haven Hospital on Friday, April 3. Born June 18, 1934, Passero grew up in Eatontown, NJ and earned a bachelor’s degree from Miami University in Oxford, OH. After earning his master’s degree from Miami University and his doctorate from Indiana University, he spent time mapping the Yukon River tributaries in Alaska with the U.S. Geological Survey, before becoming a geology professor at Western Michigan University.
“Dr. Passero was a great mentor and professor,” said WMU alumnus Jeffrey Hawkins. “I have many wonderful memories with him in the field and in the lab. Not only was he extremely intelligent and thoughtful, he was a gentleman and was always concerned about the students and their future.”
Passero was a pioneer in environmental and hydrogeology studies at WMU, and throughout Michigan and the United States. He was the founder of the Michigan Earth Science Teachers Association, an organization helping K-12 Michigan educators in the fields of Earth and space science. He was also an active member of the community serving on the Michigan Environmental Review Board.
He later founded the Institute for Water Sciences at WMU, serving as its first director and working hard to bring credit to the institute before retiring as a professor emeritus. A global scholar, he has been recognized for his many achievements to science, including creating groundwater simulation models that are currently used in schools and museums across the country.
“Dick was one of the architects of the WMU hydrogeology program,” said Dr. William Harrison, director of the Michigan Geological Repository for Research and Education. “His contributions to the department and our professions are incalculable.”
Honoring a legacy
The Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences is raising funds for the Dr. Richard Passero Endowment. This endowment will provide funds to further the research and scholarships within the department.