Obituary of Daniel C. Wilhoft Ph.D

Dr. Daniel C. Wilhoft was born on Nov. 16, 1930, in Newark, N.J., and passed away peacefully on April 5, 2015, in Livingston, N.J. Dr. Wilhoft was predeceased by his father, Charles A. Wilhoft; mother, Madeline Fraser Wilhoft, and wife, Dorothy Duxbury Wilhoft. He is survived by his current wife, Elizabeth C. Hotaling; sister, Jean Wilhoft; son, Daniel C. Wilhoft Jr. and wife Amelia; daughter, Linda Wilhoft Rhodes and husband Jeffrey. He is also survived by three grandchildren, TJ, Alexandra and Michael Forlenza. Dr. Wilhoft spent four years in the U.S. Navy Submarine Service. He then pursued his education, completing his undergraduate studies at Rutgers, Newark. His graduate studies were conducted at the University of California, Berkeley, where he attained a Ph.D. in zoology. Dr. Wilhoft contributed greatly to the advancement of herpetology, focusing his research on the endocrinology of reptiles. He was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to conduct research in Australia before returning to Rutgers as a tenured professor. He retired as professor emeritus from his alma mater after 40 years of dedicated service in the field and in the lecture hall. The biology department has since honored him by launching an annual seminar series in his name. Dr. Wilhoft volunteered for more than 10 years with the South Orange Rescue Squad, where he answered over 1, 000 calls. Later in life, he also served as president of the N.J. Naval Museum. He was a man who worked hard in pursuit of his goals, traveling extensively through six continents to see the world and experience other cultures. He was kind to everyone he met and was an inspiration to his family, students and colleagues. He will be missed by all that knew him. A celebration of Daniel's life will be on May 17th at 1:00 PM at his residence and his interment at Arlington National Cemetery, Chapel at Fort Myer will be held at 3PM on November 6th. Guests should arrive by 2:15PM to allow time for security clearance. Arrangements are by Preston Funeral Home, South Orange, N.J.