After a brief illness, David Doggett Redfield, 92, died peacefully at his home Tallahassee FL on November 21, 2023. He is survived by his brother retired U.S. Marine Col. Heman Judd Redfield III of Black Mountain, NC. Though born in Boston MA, his grades 4 -12 education was at St. Albans School in Washington DC. He earned the bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering (electronics), as well as masters and doctoral degrees in Education, all from the University of Virginia.
Before earning the doctorate, pt Lt Redfield spent two years (1956-57) active duty in the US Army at SCEL (Signal Corps Engineering Laboratory, Ft. Monmouth, NJ) where his primary responsibility was recruiting German PhD scientists for US research and development laboratories.
Upon completing the doctorate, he was hired as the science supervisor for the Roanoke City Schools, and also taught physics and general science at Jefferson High School for 4 years. In the summers he was awarded grants by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to teach gifted high school students an introductory electronics and nuclear engineering in conjunction with the uvA school of Engineering faculty.
In 1964, Dr. Redfield joined the Science Education faculty of the Florida State University becoming full professor in 6 years. He retired as emeritus professor in 1988. During those years he was an active participant in the development of two NSF funded junior high / high school science projects which became widely used throughout the US. He is author/co-author of a number of science textbooks for junior-high and high schools. He enjoyed serving as major professor for many masters and doctoral students.
An active birdwatcher in retirement, Dr. Redfield travelled to 113 countries where he observed one or more members of 100% of all avian and 98% of all mammal taxonomic families. He is known as the first person to capture and photograph a living Laotian Rock Rat - an animal thought to have been extinct for 11 million years.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, January 12, 2024, at The Maguire Center at Westminster Oaks, 4449 Meandering Way, Tallahassee, FL 32308 at 2:00PM.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.CulleysMeadowWood.com for the Redfield family.
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