George B. Rossbach 1910-2002 Obituary
George B. Rossbach, 91, of Paula’s Home Care in Buckhannon, died Thursday, Jan. 24, 2002, in St. Joseph’s Hospital in Buckhannon.
Mr. Rossbach was born Oct. 26, 1910, in Belfast, Maine, a son of the late Adolph and Alvina Rossbach.
Surviving are two sons, John Rossbach, Syracuse, N.Y., and Kenneth Rossbach, Dedham, Maine; and four daughters, Anne Rossbach Lep, Nobleboro, Maine, Susan Rossbach, Bethel, Maine, Hazel Pacheco, address unknown, and Catherine Rossbach, Ventura, Calif.
Mr. Rossbach was a college professor for West Virginia Wesleyan College. He received a bachelor of science degree from Harvard University in 1933 and went on to earn a Ph.D. from Stanford University. After a brief position as a professor at William & Mary College, he took a full professorship at WVWC in 1949. He became the head of the science department and taught botany and zoology there until his retirement in 1977. He was considered by many to be one of the most knowledgeable taxonomists and field botanists of his era in West Virginia. His major plant collections are housed in the herbariums of West Virginia University in Morgantown, University of Maine at Orono, WVWC and the Royal Herbarium of Canada in Ottawa. He was an advocate of ecological concerns.
Funeral Arrangements: Friends will be received at Poling-st. Clair Funeral Home Saturday from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. A memorial service will be in the funeral home chapel Saturday at 7 p.m. with Roger McCormick officiating. Mr. Rossbach will be cremated. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Nature Conservancy, West Virginia Field Office, 723 Kanawha Blvd. East, Suite 500, Charleston, W.Va. 25301.
George B. Rossbach 1910-2002 Obituary
