Dr. John Benton Stahl

CARBONDALE - Dr. John Benton Stahl, 90, passed away at Memorial Hospital of Carbondale on Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020.



John was born in Columbus, Ohio on March 28, 1930 and spent much of his youth in Washington D.C. and Chicago.



As a young man, John traveled the country, working at various jobs from hoeing strawberries in Washington to canning fish on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula. He then began his academic career, receiving a BS from Iowa State University and a PhD in Zoology from Indiana University.



He first taught zoology at Thiel College in Pennsylvania, then Washington State University at Pullman, and finally settled in Carbondale at Southern Illinois University. He respected the animal kingdom, and over his long tenure as professor of zoology, he touched the lives of many students. His specialty was limnology, and his research took him as far as Mexico and Argentina.



He was a man of principle and noble thoughts, whose quiet exterior belied his strong emotions and deep convictions. All that knew him, both colleagues and friends, could feel his intrinsic benevolence.



He will be greatly missed by his wife, Lidia, his son, Karl, nephews Eric (Karen) Stahl and Marta (Ross) Nelson, as well as his nephew Andres Altieri, his sister-in-law, Elena (Luis) Altieri and his extended family in Argentina.



Private services will be held by Pastors Gray and Holden at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Carbondale at 11:00 a.m. on Jan. 2, 2021. He will be interred at Pleasant Grove Cemetery.



Meredith Funeral Home in Carbondale assisted the family with arrangements. To leave a story or memory of John, visit www.meredithfh.com.