Stephen L. Solheim, Ph.D.

Dr. Stephen L. Solheim, Ph.D., a longtime resident of Whitewater, was born on Feb. 20, 1952, and passed away on Feb. 18, 2019, at the age of 66. Steve is survived by his beloved cat, Bun; nephews, Marc and Geoffrey Solheim; nieces, Tracy (Tim) Rott and Barb Evans; and many great nieces, nephews, dear friends, students and colleagues. Steve was preceded in death by his parents, Carl and Winifred (Joan) Solheim; as well as his brothers, Phil Solheim and Geoffrey Solheim, Sr. Steve grew up in a working-class family living in Waukesha, Wis. While working full-time to fund his education he attended UW-Madison where he discovered a love and passion for botany and conservation biology, eventually earning a Ph.D. As a grad student he was involved in research on the effects of large deer populations on forest health, even serving as a lead plaintiff in a landmark federal lawsuit that led to improvements in U.S. Forest Service practices. For 28 years, Steve served as a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he was highly regarded as an excellent and dedicated teacher, mentor and colleague. His boundless energy and passion as a scholar-educator insures that his positive influence will extend far into the future. As a person, Steve was generous with his time and efforts with friends and causes he believed in. During his life, Steve travelled widely abroad and shared his adventures with friends and students alike. He was a voracious reader of wide-ranging topics and, as an unparalleled intellectual, he was the proud collector and owner of an enormous and diverse book collection. Those who knew him knew of his love of Bun, friends, books, botany, environmental conservation, teaching, Mexico, and cheese. A memorial visitation will be held from 3 p.m. until 5 p.m., on Sunday, March 31, 2019, in the Fern Young Terrace at the Young Auditorium on the UW-Whitewater campus. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the National Resources Foundation of Wisconsin. P.O. Box 2317 Madison, WI. 53701 Website: www.wisconservation.org All Faiths Funeral & Cremation Services Madison (608)442-0477 www.866allfaiths.com