WILLIAM FRANCIS STANDAERT
1934-2024
William Francis Standaert,
Billy as we called him, lived a full life of 89 years. He loved his wife,
Eleanor; his Pop and his Mom; his younger brothers and
sister; birds and plants, and his Mac computer. And,
the occasional Johnny and Hanges hot dog.
Growing up, Billy beamed in the company of his grandpa Frank and enjoyed life
as an only child for his first 8 years. He became the oldest brother to his
three siblings as their parents settled in Hawthorne, New Jersey to raise their
young family. Billy graduated from St John Cathedral High School in 1953.
Billy and his brothers brought a menagerie of pets through their Hawthorne home
(owls, monkeys, tarantulas, and more!). This was just the beginning of his
life-long dedication to nature and wildlife. Billy worked as a science
instructor at the Newark Museum and graduated from Montclair State Teacher’s
College. Following a brief stint of active-duty service in the National Guard,
he went on to a successful teaching career in the biological sciences, starting
with Glen Rock Junior High School. He went on to get his PhD in ecology and
zoology from Rutgers University, served as a professor at North Carolina State
University and then taught at Salisbury State College until he retired as a
Professor Emeritus in 1989.
Billy and El met when Billy was giving a frog tour with the local Audubon
Society. El knew then that he was a catch. They married in June 1960. Together,
they spent summers traveling across the U.S. and Latin America on birding trips
in their VW self-made camper van. When not on their adventures, they enjoyed
St. Patty’s Day parties and July 4th picnics hosted by their relatives Roc and
Doodie.
With El’s steady assistance, Billy generously shared his expertise with others.
He was a prolific contributor to the findings of the Philadelphia Botanical
Society, the Torrey Botanical Society, and Friends of Garrett Mountain. He is,
for example, credited for discovering a patch of ferns (Dryopteris celsa) in 2005, which at the time was the only known
occurrence in New Jersey.
He and El retired to Midland Park, NJ in 1992 as he became his mother’s primary
caretaker for many years. Even though the rest of the family lived across the
country, he always cared about what was happening in our lives. On our
birthdays and wedding anniversaries, he sent memo styled emails to mark the
occasion. Of course, he would also happily try to identify photos of plants and
animals we’d send him from our own travels or hikes.
Billy was the devoted son of William and Josephine Standaert. He is survived by
his wife of 64 years, Eleanor Wundling, his three
siblings Thomas, Patricia, and Joseph (Mary McPhail), and his nephews and nieces
Timothy, Cathy (Scott Brashears), Patricia (Wil Ravenhorst), and Diane.
We will miss him.
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