Dr. John Alcock graduated from Amherst University in 1965 and received his PhD from Harvard University in 1969, studying under Ernst Mayr and E.O. Wilson.

After graduation, he was quicky hired by the University of Washington. While employed there, a field trip to the Chiricahua mountains in southern Arizona changed his life. He fell in love with the Sonoran Desert and decided to move to Arizona. He said on many occasions that the Sonoran Desert is the only place he would ever consider living.

He joined the Zoology department, now named the School of Life Sciences, at Arizona State University in 1972. In addition to his many awards and professional recognitions, Dr. Alcock was among the first at ASU to be named a Regent's professor. For about 50 years he was a familiar sight on his vintage three speed Raleigh bicycle, making the same bicycle trip from his home up to ASU.

He spent many of those years writing and revising his highly regarded textbook, Animal Behavior, authoring over ten editions. Along with his teaching and research, this book had an impact on innumerable students, many of whom were inspired to become biologists and behavioral ecologists after reading it.

Dr. Alcock was a dedicated field biologist, armed with his binoculars, specimen jars, and insect net. His favorite study site was the Usury mountains near Phoenix, where he carried out decades of research on the mating systems of insects. He was especially interested in how tarantula hawk wasps find mates.

In later years he repeatedly visited Western Australia where he discovered a new species of orchid, studied Dawson's burrowing bees, and made lasting friendships with human beings. Dr. Alcock was a conservationist and a naturalist. He authored eight books on natural history, including "In A Desert Garden." That book described his early advocacy for desert landscaping and the insect life that flourished in his yard after the transformation. The yard won an award from the City of Tempe and the book won the John Burroughs Medal for distinguished natural history writing. He was a dedicated gardener, cultivating an impressive winter vegetable garden in the front yard of his Tempe home. In retirement, he enjoyed gardening on the family farm in Virginia. Until very recently, he continued doing field research in Virginia, studying fireflies and a variety of other creatures that lived on the property.

He is survived by his two sons, two grandchildren, his sister, and most importantly, his wife of 54 years, Sue.

Donations in his name may be made to the Center for Biological Diversity or the Nature Conservancy of Arizona. Memorial service information can be found at JohnAlcock.com.