Tom Fondell, respected wildlife biologist who shed light on waterfowl ecology, dies at 61

Tom Fondell trained his eyes to see the world's small, feathered wonders.

The Minnesota native spent much of his career as a wildlife biologist sleuthing out nesting birds cradled in grasslands or tucked near remote bodies of water.

Fondell worked for 20 years at the U.S. Geological Survey's Alaska Science Center, studying migratory waterfowl with an eye toward their conservation and management. The much-admired and tireless researcher died April 16 at his home in Anchorage, Alaska, from pancreatic cancer. He was 61.

Family and colleagues say his interest in birds radiated from a lifelong reverence for the natural world. He grew up in Minneapolis, the third of seven children. In high school, Fondell and his older brother, Chris, pooled their paper route and snow-shoveling money to buy a lake property near Fort Ripley, which remained a favorite retreat spot in the years to come.

Those who knew Fondell say the taciturn outdoorsman was happiest in wild, isolated landscapes. He preferred mountains, lakes and sylvan silence to crowds and concrete.

"It was where he found his peace," Chris Fondell said.

After earning his degree in wildlife management from the University of Minnesota, Fondell joined the Peace Corps and journeyed to Africa, where he helped develop local fisheries and beekeeping.

The quiet adventurer later completed his master's in wildlife biology at the University of Montana and eventually moved to Alaska, leading research on waterfowl ecology and working to share his findings.

One of his projects took him to Alaska's Copper River delta, where he studied the dusky Canada goose and its nesting habits. His group's research helped inform management practices for the bird.

Fondell savored field research and often worked long after his colleagues returned to camp each day.

"He was nice and generous almost to a fault," said his nephew Dave Miller, who worked with Fondell for several summers on the Copper River. "He could work college-aged people into the ground. No one could keep up with him."

Fondell's ongoing concern for conservation and environmental stewardship seeped into daily life. He rarely drove to work, commuting by skis or bike instead.

She saw this love in the homespun Mother's Day card he once gave her, adorned with a pressed, purple wildflower.

In Alaska, Fondell met his wife, Melonie Rieck, a fellow Minnesota transplant. She admired his esteem for the outdoors. He taught her about bird-watching and how to appreciate all wildlife.

"Tom considered himself just one of the mammals," Rieck said.

Even in Alaska, the biologist who once worked as a bat boy for the Minnesota Twins always kept up with his team.

The last week of his life brought clear, Alaskan days. The prolonged sunlight heralded spring. From his bed near the window, Fondell could hear birds overhead, migrating to their nesting grounds.