Dr. Paul Vincent Hamilton

Dr. Paul Vincent Hamilton passed away on December 4, 2023, in St. Marks, FL. He is survived by Elizabeth "Betty", his wife of 53 years; a son, Kevin; and a daughter, Emily.

Paul was born in Staten Island, New York, on October 6, 1946. He graduated from St. Peters Boys High School in Staten Island. He then attended Cornell University for two years before joining the Air Force in 1966. He spent about three years in Vietnam, Taiwan, and Thailand working on command post aircraft, various fighters, and attack bombers. In 1969, he joined the Air Force Eastern Test Range, where he served as a tech crew member on specialty aircraft designed to track Apollo vehicles during their earth orbits. He also serviced submarine-launched ballistic missiles during developmental tests. This remarkable work led Paul to almost continuous travel worldwide.

After completing four plus years in the Air Force, Paul married Betty and then returned to Cornell, where he earned a BS in Conservation Ecology in 1972. Thereafter, he entered the FSU Graduate Program and earned his PhD in Marine Ecology in 1976, based in part on research done at the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.

Over the following thirty-one years, Paul was a biology faculty member, department chair, and science dean at the University of West Florida and the University of Central Arkansas. He enjoyed teaching and mentoring research students. Over the years, Paul's research and activities yielded over forty publications, mostly in scientific journals.

Paul spent the past 20 years RVing with Betty and engaging in volunteer activities related to environmental education and conservation ecology. These experiences included developing climate change and Elderhostel curricula at the Alaska Sealife Center; developing public education literature for the Maine Chapter of The Nature Conservancy; and, for about 12 years, volunteering at the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.

Paul was most proud of his successes in securing funds and property donations to support conservation and other science projects at the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. He was a Life Member of The Nature Conservancy and of the Friends of the St. Marks Wildlife Refuge. Paul also loved dogs, and they loved him.

In lieu of flowers, etc., the family requests that donations be made to the Friends of St. Marks Wildlife Refuge (Post Office Box 368; St. Marks, FL 32355).