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Light a Candle
November 22, 2011
Obituary, David B Marshall
1926-2011
David Brownell Marshall peacefully joined his ancestors in the early morning hours of November 22 following a prolonged and debilitating illness. The first of three children born in Portland to Earl A. and Dorothy B. Marshall, David was well-known as an outstanding naturalist and bird expert. He grew up in the family home on Mt. Tabor, where he made frequent forays into the fields and woods to observe birds. He attended Washington High School where he met Georgia Leupold in 1943. They would marry 56 years later. David served in the Army Air Corps as a gunner during World War II. He married Betty Jones in 1948 and subsequently graduated from Oregon State College with a degree in Fish and Game Management. In the 1950's he worked on various wildlife refuges, including Malheur National Wildlife Refuge where he served with refuge manager John Scharff. Later he was instrumental in establishing the Basket Slough, Finley, and Ankeny wildlife refuges in the Willamette Valley. In 1960 David returned to Portland to take a post as regional refuge biologist. In 1973 he became chief biologist for birds and mammals in the endangered species program in Washington, D.C. David retired from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1981 at the age of 55 and subsequently worked as a consultant to Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. In 2003, he co-authored a seven hundred page reference book Birds of Oregon, which has been called "the definitive source for Oregon ornithology". David is survived by his daughter Janet, son John, brother Albert, sister Nancy, triplet grandchildren, and his beloved Georgia.
A celebration of David's life will be held at noon on Saturday December 10 at the Multnomah Athletic Ciolub in Portland.
In lieu of flowers please make contributions to Portland Audubon Society,
