Dear Hank,

Might I use your nice piece on Don for the June issue of American
Conchologist?  I regret that we are just now in press for March and
can't include anything. I barely got a note in about Bob Foster.

I will miss him. I knew it was ill, but not that it had progressed so
far. I hope it was indeed a short period.

Regards,

Lynn Scheu

"Henry W. Chaney" wrote:
>
> Donald R. Shasky  (1925-2002)
>
> It is with great regret that I report the passing of Dr. Donald R. Shasky,
> M.D., at age 76.  Don died this morning, 25 February 2002, in Oceanside,
> California from the complications of Alzheimer's disease, after a relatively
> short period of failing health.   He his survived by his wife, Ursula, three
> sons and their families.
>
> Although his professional training and career was as a dermatologist, Don
> was also a highly knowledgeable and dedicated malacologist, who during a 40
> year period amassed a comprehensive collection of Panamic mollusks as well
> as a formidable number of species from the tropical Pacific.  He had a
> particular interest in the collection of micro shells and other cryptic
> species, which he would gather either from grunge or by shaking loose
> substrates into a large bag for later sorting.  The success of this method
> influenced all who traveled with Don over the years.  Perhaps his greatest
> contribution to the study of eastern Pacific mollusks was through a series
> of ten expeditions he led to Cocos Island, Costa Rica from 1983 to 1997 (his
> last collecting trip).  The result of this work is still to be fully
> appreciated.
>
> Don published extensively on his discoveries, described new species and had
> several described in his honor. He was a great contributor to the works of
> many professional malacologists throughout the world and materials from his
> collection have been repeatedly cited in numerous monographs, published over
> the last quarter century.  Readers of American Conchologist will recall Don'
> s serialized reports of his extensive travels as "Wanderings of an Itinerant
> Malacologist."
>
> Don's collections, including his extensive library-archive of publications,
> letters, historical photographs and journals are housed at the Santa Barbara
> Museum of Natural History.
>
> Henry Chaney
> Director of Collections and Research
> Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History