Dr. William (Bill) Francis Font Jr. died of a sudden heart attack on April 8, 2022, in the company of his wife, Avril, of 53 years. He is survived by his daughter, Sedley, and his three grandchildren, Gwenllian, Gareth, and Wiliam. Bill's ashes are spread out over Whiskey Bay, Louisiana, near many of his favorite parasite sampling locations.
Bill was born August 11, 1944, in Des Allemands, Louisiana, where he grew up romping through the marshes and swamps. He graduated from Hahnville High School and attended Tulane University on a NJROTC scholarship. After graduating Tulane with a B.S. in 1966, Bill served in the U.S. Navy as a Radar Intercept Officer (Suppl. Fig. S1). He served honorably in 2 tours flying in F-4 jets during the Vietnam War from 1966 to 1970. In 1968, while on shore leave in Hong Kong, he met and married Avril.
Upon leaving...