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John V. Dennis

John V. Dennis, 86, noted ornithologist and author, died peacefully on Sunday, Dec.1, 2002, at his home in Princess Anne of complications from sinus cancer. His best-known book, The Complete Guide to Bird Feeding, first published in 1975, helped to popularize bird-feeding among suburban Americans. Two subsequent books, Beyond the Birdfeeder and The Wildlife Gardener, provided succinct guides to home owners on how to cultivate their gardens to attract more wildlife.

Throughout his life, Dennis was a tireless conservationist who sought out endangered flora and fauna as a means for promoting the conservation of such areas as the Congary Swamp in South Carolina, the Big Thicket of East Texas—where he conducted an inconclusive search for the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker, and the moors of Nantucket Island, where he practiced mist-netting of migratory birds for many years in the 1960s. His two other books, The Great Cypress Swamps, and World Guide to Tropical Drift Seeds and Fruits, reflect the broad scope of his ecological interests.

In the 1960s, Dennis invented a woodpecker repellent to protect wooden telephone poles. He was also a consultant with the American Petroleum Institute, in a study to examine the effects of stranding of oil on Florida beaches. During World War II, he served as a radar technician in the Flying Tigers in Yunnan, China.

He is survived by his wife, Mary Alice, his three children, Louisa, John, Jr. and Laura, six grandchildren, and his brother, Alfred P. Dennis of Leesburg, Va. His research and public awareness interests are being carried on by two colleagues and co-authors, Gary Williamson of Chesapeake, Va., and Edward Perry of Melbourne, Fla.

A funeral service will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Princess Anne.

(reprinted from delmarvanow.com)

John Dennis was a frequent participant in conservation and outreach activities of the Nassawango Creek Preserve Volunteer Stewardship Comittee. Michael Conger, former chair of the committee, said "John's humor and intimate interaction with nature (including the committee) will be missed!"