Dr. Temd Robert Deason

Temd Robert Deason, born in York, Alabama in October 1931, passed away on April 6th, 2025. He was preceded in death by his father, Thomas A. Deason; his mother, Edna D. Deason; his stepson, Walter Eugene Braswell; and step-daughter, Mary Margaret Fairbanks.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Lucy Meadows Deason, his daughters Janet Estrada (Chuck) and Carole Deason, as well as his grandchildren Meagan D’Stasio (Jami), Elizabeth Murphy (Cliff), Daniel Pate (Paula), and Alexis Braswell. He also leaves behind great-grandchildren Ryleigh D’Stasio, Graham Murphy, Emma, and Ethan Pate. He was a kind and generous patriarch who supported his family in both material and compassionate ways.

Temd graduated from Lanier High School in Montgomery in 1949 and went on to earn his B.S. in 1954 and M.S. in 1958 from the University of Alabama, where he was a proud member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. He served as the Leader of the 34th Infantry Scout Dog Platoon in Heilbronn, West Germany from 1954 to 1956. This military service in Europe was a part of the last U.S. occupying forces in Germany after World War II. He furthered his education by obtaining his PhD in Botany from the University of Texas at Austin in 1960, after which he taught for one year at the University of Delaware. He dedicated the remainder of his career to the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Alabama, where he played a vital role in establishing the first electron microscope laboratory and served as its first director. His research focused on the classification and nuclear division of soil algae. In recognition of his contributions, he was awarded the Alexander von Humboldt Senior U.S. Scientist Award and spent the years 1974-75 at the Institut Für Algenforschung in Dortmund, West Germany.

Temd was a respected member of the University of Alabama academic community with many friends among his colleagues most notably in the biology and psychology departments. A man of many passions, Temd cherished time spent with family and friends, enjoyed playing tennis, traveling, birdwatching, and playing poker. He had a keen interest in photography, participated in Senior Fitness at FUMC, and took classes through OLLI. He was a life member of the Phycological Society of America and the Alabama Ornithological Society. Temd felt strongly about giving to the community. As a family member he was a keen nature lover who took the family on environmental and cultural expeditions.

The family deeply appreciates the loving care provided by Cornerstone Caregivers and Hospice of West Alabama.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts be made to the University of Alabama designated for the Biological Sciences Gifts fund. Gifts can be made online at give.ua.edu or mailed to the University of Alabama Office of Advancement Services, Box 870101, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487.

In honor of his legacy, bricks have been purchased at the corner of 5th and Main in Northport to commemorate the Deason lineage.