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60 IGUANA  •  VOLUME 14, NUMBER 1  •  MARCH 2007 OBITUARY

sion for her fellow humans, and she channeled that profession-
ally by becoming adept at conflict resolution and facilitation.
She assisted many Service and State fish and wildlife agency pro-
grams as a trainer and facilitator. She left Federal Aid in 2002 to
become the national coordinator for Partnerships in Amphibian
and Reptile Conservation (PARC).

Alison was diagnosed with stage-4 ovarian cancer in late
2002, and on the insistence of her physicians, took a medical
retirement from the Service to focus on treatment and recovery.
Despite an unbelievably grueling regimen of surgeries and
chemotherapy, Alison formed a non-profit organization, Cures
for Ovarian Cancer, to advocate for early detection screening,
which is not currently a part of routine physical examinations for
women or provided for in health care plans. Her campaign took
her far and wide speaking to audiences to increase awareness.

An accomplished artist specializing in water color, Alison
also formed the non-profit Northeast Wildlife Heritage to raise
funds for conservation efforts in the northeast through sales of
her art and other crafts.

Alison is survived by her husband John, her parents, two
sisters and a brother, and many nieces and nephews, and her two
Corgis, Ursa and Ry, named for two of her favorite constella-
tions, Ursa Minor (the little dipper) and Orion (the hunter). She
leaves a network of friends, whom she touched deeply with her
ability to make others feel good. Alison’s spirit will be with us on
starry nights when Ursa Minor and Orion grace the sky, but
those who knew her well will feel her presence when the planet
Venus rises, the diminutive planet that burns the brightest.

PARC has established the Alison Haskell Excellence in
Herpetofaunal Research and Conservation Award. Donations
for the first award can be made to: The New England Chapter,
TWS, Attn: A Haskell Herp Award, c/o Doug Blodgett, VT
Fish and Wildlife, 271 North Main Street, Suite 215, Rutland,
VT 05701.

John F. Organ
Chief, Division of Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Hadley, Massachusetts

O B I T U A R Y

Alison Haskell 
(1956–2006)

The Fish and Wildlife Service family and conservation commu-
nity lost a very special friend. Alison Haskell died peacefully at
her home in Ashfield, Massachusetts in the company of her
husband John Rosseel and family and friends.

Alison was born on 26 December 26 1956 in Berkeley,
California, and grew up on the coast of Massachusetts. She
received a B.S. and M.S. in wildlife biology from the universi-
ties of New Hampshire and Massachusetts, respectively. Her
master’s thesis focused on population ecology of the Plymouth
Redbelly Turtle (Pseudemys rubriventris). She studied at Tufts
University Veterinary School, where she also worked as the chief
veterinary technician at the Wildlife Clinic for five years, and
became noted for her exceptional ability in handling raptors. In
1993, she joined the Fish and Wildlife Service as a Wildlife
Research Specialist in the Division of Federal Aid. Alison’s
unique and extraordinary blend of skills, ranging from wildlife
health to population viability analyses, suited her extremely well
in administering a wide variety of grant programs, including
Section 6 Endangered Species, Wildlife Restoration,
Partnerships For Wildlife, Wildlife Conservation and
Restoration Program, and State Wildlife Grants. Alison’s pas-
sion for wildlife may have been exceeded only by her compas-

Alison Haskell in the field with a bear cub.

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An Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina): Watercolor by
Alison Haskell.

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