of his life. Through his contacts and work both in Republic and the Burke Museum he authored a series of papers on the fossils found at Republic. A group of ten papers published in the now defunct publication Washington Geology were aimed at a general audience. He also coauthored several technical scientific papers with paleobotanical colleagues. Wehr was recognized for his work with fossils in 2003 when he was awarded the Paleontological Society's Harrell L. Strimple Award, awarded each year to an amateur who has contributed to paleontology, with Kirk Johnson noting that "throughout his career, Wes has been an exporter of paleontology". The reception hosted by Wehr at the Burke Museum afterwards was attended by 200 of his friends and acquaintances, at which Wehr noted one of his inspirations to be Richard Fuller, geologist, vulcanologist, but also founder of the Seattle Art Museum. Similar to Wehr were also Beck, who was an accomplished musician, and V. Standish Mallory who trained in his early life as a composer and musician. A number of extinct plants and insects were named in honor of Wehr including Cretomerobius wehri, Osmunda wehrii, Pseudolarix wehrii, and Wessiea yakimaensis. The fossil flower, Wehrwolfea striata was named for Wehr and paleobotanist Jack Wolfe. While traveling with Kirk Johnson in 1992, Wehr visited the Black Hills Institute and saw the skeleton of the Tyrannosaurus rex Sue five days before it was seized by the FBI. Five days before his 75th birthday, Wehr suffered a series of heart attacks and died on April 12, 2004. The planned birthday party was changed into a memorial service, attended by more than 200 people. References External links 1983 oral history interview with Wesley Wehr in the Smithsonian's Archives of American Art Art by Wesley Wehr in the Seattle Public Library's Northwest Art Collection 1929 births 2004 deaths American paleontologists Northwest School (art) 20th-century American painters American male painters People from Everett, Washington Paleobotanists 20th-century American male artists