Peter L Meserve

Peter Meserve

Peter Meserve passed away peacefully Sunday, June 14, 2026, surrounded by family, after a brief illness.

Peter was born September 22, 1945, in Buffalo, NY , to Reverend Harry Meserve and Louise Bloomfield Dunmire, and grew up in San Francisco, CA. When 9 months old, he contracted spinal meningitis, which caused him to lose most of his hearing, and he used hearing aids from age 4.

He attended The University of California, Davis, where he met Jan Holmberg, and they were married in 1969. After receiving a MA in biology at The University of Nebraska – Lincoln and a PhD in biology at The University of California, Irvine, he was appointed Professor of Biology at La Universidad Católica in Santiago, Chile. While there, he fell in love with Chile and its people. His research on small mammal populations began there and continued throughout his life. He spent his academic career at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, IL, going to and from his northern Chilean research project.

He is survived by his wife, Jan, sons Jeffrey (Rhykka) and Stephen (Carie), and grandson Noble. He will be remembered for his scientific curiosity and love of the natural world. His work in Chile is a lasting legacy; he is respected and honored by friends and colleagues in around the world. His findings helped to deepen our understanding of climate change and phenomena such as El Niño.

A memorial service is planned on July 18th at 2 pm, at the Community Congregational UCC in Pullman, WA. Donations can be sent to Palouse Audubon Society in honor of his love and wonder for nature. Short’s Funeral Chapel of Moscow, ID is in charge of arrangements.