William (Bill) Albert Leuschner Ph. D.
William (Bill) Albert Leuschner Jr., passed away peacefully on February 13, 2026, at the age of 91. Born on November 22, 1934, in Brooklyn, NY, he was the son of William Albert Leuschner Sr. and Martha Horne. Bill lived a life defined by intellectual curiosity, steady dedication, and a deep commitment to the stewardship of natural resources. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Forestry from the New York State College of Forestry at Syracuse University in 1960. Believing that effective stewardship required both ecological insight and economic understanding, Bill earned an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1966 and completed his Ph.D. at the University of Michigan in 1969. Following completion of his Ph.D., Dr. Leuschner joined the University of Minnesota in St. Paul, where he worked in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service’s North Central Forest Experiment Station. In 1972, he joined the faculty at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) as Assistant Professor of Forest Economics, later becoming Professor of Forest Economics. He was widely known for his research on the Southern Pine Beetle and the economic impacts of forest disturbances. In the early 1980s, Bill participated in the USAID-supported Resource Conservation and Utilization Project (RCUP) in Nepal, contributing to interdisciplinary efforts in watershed management and renewable natural resource development. Later in his career, he joined Clemson University, where he continued teaching and advising graduate students. He was ultimately named Professor Emeritus of Forest Resources. He was married for 64 years to Margery Ann (Ring) Leuschner. He is survived by his wife Margery; his sons, Erik Leuschner and his wife Victoria Lee, and Ian Leuschner and his wife Andrea Dixon; and his grandson, William Albert Leuschner III. A visitation will be held at McCoy Funeral Home in Blacksburg, Virginia, on March 14, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Virginia Forestry Educational Foundation (http://www.vfef.net/donate.html).
