William Allen Tucker's Obituary
William Allen Tucker died Sunday, August 3, in Gainesville, FL. Dr. Tucker was born in Alliance, OH on August 11, 1948, the son of Frederick Ewart Tucker and Betty Jane Tucker (née Ryan). He graduated from West Virginia University with a degree in physics in 1970 and then went on to the University of Michigan, where he received a PhD in oceanic science in 1976. In 1972, he married Judith Gail Ivill of Pittsburgh, PA. Bill went on to work at Arthur D. Little in Boston, MA, followed by a move to Gainesville, FL, to pursue a long career at Environmental Science and Engineering and its successors, MACTEC and AMEC E&I, where his primary focus was on risk assessment for water contamination. He retired from AMEC as a Senior Principal Scientist.
Bill was an avid golfer, a fan of Pittsburgh and University of Florida sports, and a rock and roll connoisseur. One of his great memories was attending the Woodstock Festival in 1969. Growing up, Bill was an Eagle Scout and maintained a love of the outdoors his entire life. He passed along his love for science to others, including by regularly volunteering as a judge at science fairs. He lived his life with enormous integrity and honesty, which has served as a model to those who love him.
He is preceded in death by his parents and a daughter, Jillian. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Judi; two children, Jessica (David Rampulla) of Kensington, MD, and Joshua of Seattle, WA; his siblings Paul Tucker of Charleston, WV and Kathy Kuzior of New Cumberland, WV; and his two beloved grandsons, Milo and Beckett Rampulla of Kensington, MD. Private services are planned for a future date. Memorial contributions may be made to the Sierra Club.
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