It is with a heavy heart that we recognize the passing of Dr. Edward (Ed) Owen Moll. Born in Peoria, Illinois, in 1939, Ed dedicated his life to the pursuit of herpetological knowledge and conservation, with a particular emphasis on turtles.
Ed was the first recipient of the Behler Turtle Conservation Award, established to honor leadership and excellence in the field of turtle and tortoise conservation. The award was inaugurated at the 4th Annual Symposium on the Conservation and Biology of Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles, held in St. Louis, Missouri, August 10–13, 2006. It was created to honor the legacy of John L. Behler, who passed away in January of that year.
Dr. Moll was a lifelong turtle researcher and conservationist whose work and leadership in the field were both inspirational and groundbreaking. Ed earned a B.S. and M.S. from the University of Illinois and a Ph.D. from the University of Utah. Prior to his retirement in 1998, he taught for more than 30 years in the Department of Zoology at Eastern Illinois University. His research focused on herpetology, particularly the biology and conservation of tropical river turtles. Over a 30-year period, his fieldwork took him to Mexico, Panama, South America, Malaysia, and India. His work on critically endangered river terrapins in Malaysia was of particular importance. In recognition of his contributions, the Eastern Malay River Terrapin (Batagur affinis edwardmolli) was named in his honor.
At the time he received the inaugural Behler Turtle Conservation Award, Ed was an Adjunct Professor in the School of Natural Resources at the University of Arizona, in Tucson, where he lived with his wife, Judy. He had authored approximately 75 scientific and popular publications. He also co-authored two books: Field Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Illinois, with R. A. Brandon and C. A. Phillips, and River Turtles – Ecology, Exploitation, and Conservation, with Don Moll.
Ed’s professional leadership extended well beyond his research and teaching. He was the first Chair of the IUCN Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group, serving from 1981 to 1985. He also served as President of the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, as a board member of the Illinois Endangered Species Protection Board, and as a board member of the Tucson Herpetological Society.
Among his many honors were six University-wide Distinguished Teaching Awards and the Behler Turtle Conservation Award, recognizing his significant contributions to turtle conservation.
Before his death, Ed wrote his obituary. In his words:
“Dr. Edward Owen Moll, age 86, of Tucson, Arizona, was born on November 30,1939, in Peoria, Illinois to parents Edward and Bessie (Kennedy) Moll. He died on July 28, 2026.
He attended school in Peoria and graduated from Woodruff High School. He attended Bradley University and graduated from the University of Illinois with a BS and an MS in Zoology. He received his PhD from the University of Utah in 1968.
Ed met his wife, Judy Killian, at a small private lake in northern Wisconsin in 1955. They married in 1960 and traveled the world due to Ed’s research. They worked on native turtles in Panama and Malaysia. Ed went to India alone for a year. They traveled to other Asian countries, Europe, South America, Australia, New Zealand, and the South Sea Islands.
Ed was a professor of Zoology at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois, for 30 years. He published 80 professional research papers concerning river turtles of the world. He co-authored three books, one with his brother Don. He received numerous excellence in teaching awards and was on the Illinois State Endangered Species Board. He was the first recipient of the John Behler Turtle Conservation Award in 2006.
Upon retirement to Tucson, Ed served on the Tucson Herpetological Society Board as Speaker’s Bureau chair. He presented many programs to schools, festivals, organizations, etc. He was docent at Tohono Chul Park for 20 years. In addition to leading bird tours and “Walks in the Park”, he presented herpetological programs to attendees. He taught Anatomy and Physiology for Nurses for several years at Pima Community College.
Ed was preceded in death by his parents and brother Don. He is survived by his wife Judy and sons Douglas (Tucson) and Jeff (Maridee) of Longmont, Colorado and two grandchildren. At Ed’s request there will be no service.”
And, from his son, Jeff:
“My dad grew up in central Illinois with an adventurous spirit that led him to become a biologist who studied turtles in SE Asia. He was the Crocodile Hunter before there was a Crocodile Hunter. Once in Malaysia, he chased an injured King Cobra into the grass for an opportunity to have a cobra specimen in the EIU natural history collection. He was able to catch the cobra, and I bet it is still in the collection today.
He dove into a pool once to save a girl who had drowned. Not only did he get her out of the water, but he successfully performed CPR on her, and she survived.
He was kind of a Renaissance Man. He traveled the world and taught me that you have to just go with the flow when you travel internationally. It is a lesson that has served me well on many a trip with my family. He was a competitive runner during the first running boom of the 1970s. He ran one marathon and qualified for Boston when the qualifying time was sub 2 hours and 50 minutes. He and my mom were in a bowling league together. He bowled an almost perfect game of 299 in the 1980s. My dad was a typical 1980s dad: absorbed in his profession, a little distant as a father, but he came into his own as a grandfather. He was so good to my children and they adored him.
Finally, he loved reptiles, the Chicago Bears, Dragoon IPA and his family… maybe not in that order. Best of all he was a good man. He was married to my mom for 66 years. He seemed to figure out as he got older that I needed more from him emotionally. He provided that without me having to ask for it. He always supported me and my family. I knew I could always count on him. We will miss him terribly.”
Ed leaves behind a remarkable legacy of scholarship, conservation, teaching, and mentorship. His dedication to turtles and to the people who study and protect them will continue to inspire future generations.
Thank you, Ed, for your life’s work and for all those you inspired.