Lieutenant Colonel Wesley Witcher, Professor Emeritus of Plant and Environmental Sciences, passed away on November 9, 2023, at the age of 100, in Clemson, S.C.
Lt. Col. Witcher joined the faculty of the Clemson University Department of Botany and Bacteriology, which later became the Department of Plant Pathology, in on July 1, 1960. He taught classes, researched, and worked in the Forestry Department before retiring from Clemson in 1988 with 28 years of service. In addition to membership to several scientific organizations, he worked for 17 years with crop pest regulatory services and was also a registered forester in South Carolina.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps at age 19 was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in 1943. He flew 45 missions in New Guinea, Hawaii, and the Philippines. He flew both B-24 and B-25s in the South West Pacific Area (SWPA) during World War II. After separation from service, he took commission in Army Reserves and was the first commander at the National Guard in Chatham, Va. When he moved to Clemson in 1960, he joined the 205th Reserves, retiring in 1972 at the rank of Lt. Colonel.
He graduated from Virginia Tech with a bachelor’s degree in Forestry and Wildlife. In 1956, he returned to the school for a master’s in Plant Pathology before receiving his Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from NC State.
There will be a private graveside service. Contributions can be made to Mt Zion Methodist Church, 310 Church Street, Central, S.C. 29630 or Hospice of the Upstate, 1835 Rogers Road, Anderson, S.C. 29621.
His obituary is available online.
