Edward W. Wickersham

Wickersham—Edward W. Wickersham, 84, on April 15, 2017, at Foxdale Village in State College, Pa., Ted was born on April 26, 1932, in Kelton, Pa., to Gertrude Wetherald and Howard Wickersham. A birthright Quaker, Ted graduated from Westtown School in 1950. From Pennsylvania State University, he earned a bachelor’s in dairy science with a minor in physiology in 1957 and a master’s in dairy science with a minor in reproductive physiology in 1959. Also in 1959, he and the love of his lifetime, Elaine Braund, married in Sayre, Pa. He earned a doctorate in dairy science with a minor in reproductive physiology in 1962 from the University of Wisconsin at Madison and completed a National Institutes of Health postdoctoral fellowship in endocrinology there.

After a time as assistant professor of biology at West Virginia University, he began teaching at Penn State in 1964. He transferred his membership from West Grove (Pa.) Meeting to State College Meeting in 1982. During his 35 years of service at Penn State, he received a master teacher award and multiple other awards. He gave talks at more than 100 invited symposia for Penn State students, was a thesis advisor for 26 master’s degree students and 6 doctoral students, and served on more than 60 doctoral committees.

In 1998 he retired as associate professor emeritus of biology. Ted loved his family, teaching and advising students, and gardening. He accomplished many homeownership projects. He and Elaine moved to Foxdale Village in 2009.

In addition to his parents, two sisters, Edna Wilkinson and Lewise Kalsbeek, preceded Ted in death. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Elaine Braund Wickersham; three sons, Steven Wickersham, Mark Wickersham (Tracie), and Karl Wickersham; three grandchildren; one sister, Anna Bishop (Don); and many nieces and nephews.