Robert Linsley Obituary

HAMILTON, N.Y. — Robert Martin Linsley, Whitnall Professor of Geology, Emeritus, died Tuesday, July 25, 2006, at the age of 76.

Robert Linsley was born in Chicago, and grew up in Traverse City, graduating from Traverse City High School in 1948. Bob earned B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in geology from the University of Michigan. From 1955-92, he taught paleontology, stratigraphy and marine biology to generations of geology students at Colgate University.

Bob Linsley was a dedicated and beloved teacher, inspiring countless students with his love of evolution and paleontology, and with an appreciation for the human intellect and spirit. With a Coke in one hand and a Lucky Strike and chalk in the other, Bob's lectures were packed with information and concepts, all wrapped in wonderful anecdotes detailing his experiences doing fieldwork with some of the most prominent geologists in the world.

Teaching, for Bob, seemed effortless; some students described learning from him being akin to sampling sweets in a candy store, or to putting lyrics to a beautiful tune. Bob's masterful teaching earned him the Sidney and Florence Felton French Teaching Award in 1987, and soon thereafter, the Alumni Corporation's Distinguished Teaching Award. His colleagues at Colgate honored him at his retirement with an afternoon of lectures and the dedication of the university's geology museum in Lathrop Hall: "Named in honor of Professor Linsley, who from 1955 to 1992 enraptured and inspired Colgate students with love for geology and superb teaching."

Bob was a world-class scholar, expert on evolutionary history of gastropods (snails), the functional morphology of gastropod shells, and the stratigraphy and paleontology of New York State. Although he worked with prominent geologists, he especially delighted in doing collaborative research with his former students who had earned Ph.D.s in paleontology.

It was not only as a geologist that Bob Linsley achieved distinction. In years past he won applause in many local Gilbert and Sullivan productions, was a long-standing singing member of the Blue Parsley Boys, and was an inveterate stamp collector and game player all of his life.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert M. Linsley and Mary Morgan Linsley.

He is survived by his sister, Anne Linsley Robinson; and three children, David, Barbara and Christopher.

A memorial service will be held in mid-August at the Colgate University Chapel.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Robert M. Linsley geology museum at Colgate University.

This obituary was originally published in the Record-Eagle.