Donald Edward Bright Jr

Our beloved husband and father, Donald Edward Bright Jr. passed away peacefully in his sleep on July 8, 2023 in Fort Collins, Colorado. Don was born February 10, 1934 in Columbus Ohio, the only son of Donald Sr. and Aileen Swanson Bright. He grew up in Ohio and in Granite City, Illinois, where he graduated from high school in 1952. During a family trip to Estes Park during Don’s childhood, his interest in the outdoors and natural history was instilled. After high school, Don started college at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, where he was a member of Acacia Fraternity. During college summers, he worked for the US Forest Service in Colorado and Alaska, cementing his love of forest entomology. He graduated with a major in Entomology in 1956. Don was drafted into the Army in March 1957, and did basic training at Fort Lennard Wood in Missouri, before being sent to Dugway Proving Ground in Utah, where he worked in the Ecological Research Unit. He was honorably discharged in March 1959. While at Dugway, he met Glenna Merlene Shields, who was working on the base. They married in August 1960, in the LDS temple in Salt Lake City, Utah, and had four children. Donald continued his education in entomology, graduating with a Master’s Degree from Brigham Young University in 1961, and a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1965. His research projects were about the identification and classification of bark beetles. In March 1966, Don began a long and successful career as a Research Scientist, working for the Canadian Department of Agriculture, at the Canadian National Insect Collection in Ottawa, Ontario. He specialized in bark beetles, and during his career, traveled throughout the US and Canada, as well as Mexico, Borneo, and Saba, collecting and identifying bark beetles. Donald and Merlene separated in 1989 and divorced in 1992. In 1993 Donald married Barbara Barr in Monmouth, Illinois. In September 2003, Don retired from the Canadian Government, and in 2005, moved back to his beloved Rocky Mountains settling in Fort Collins, where he lived until his death. Donald continued working in his field in retirement, and was busy writing manuscripts right up to his death. In Fort Collins, Don volunteered as the Coleoptera (beetles) Curator at the CP Gillette Museum of Arthropod Diversity at CSU, where he also mentored graduate students. Don was known for his patience and generosity in sharing his breadth of knowledge with the next generation of entomologists. He was recognized as a world expert on the classification and identification of bark and ambrosia beetles, and was a member of several scientific organizations including the Entomological Society of America, the Entomological Society of Canada, and the Coleopterists Society where he served various positions including President. Don began playing trombone in his high school band, and continued throughout his life, playing in the Nepean Concert Band and Grey Jazz Big Band while in Ottawa, Canada, and with the Loveland Concert Band and Northern Colorado New Horizons Band in Colorado. He also kept busy collecting stamps, and building intricate military aircraft, ship, and classic car models. Don enjoyed reading, gardening, fishing, wildlife watching, attending Adult Fitness Class at CSU, and traveling, especially in the Southwest and Alaska. Don is survived by his wife Barbara Barr and his ex-wife Merlene Bright and their children Jeffrey Bright of Leeds, Utah, Jill Bright of Yuma, Arizona, Jordon Bright of Flagstaff, Arizona and Jason Bright (Natalie) of Castle Rock, Colorado. Survivors also include his four grandchildren, Ashlyn Bright, Cassandra Keough (Austin), Casey Bright and Seneca Bright; and his two great-grandchildren Kham Bright-Blaine and Wren Keough. Donald lived a long, full, and happy life and will be greatly missed by his family and his many friends and colleagues in the Entomology field. He will be interred in Grandview Cemetery in Fort Collins, Colorado. A Casual Memorial Gathering will be held on Thursday, July 20, 2023 at 1:00 PM at Grandview Cemetery in Fort Collins.