Everett W. “Bill” Jameson, Jr., professor emeritus of zoology at UC Davis, died Aug. 11, 2010 at his home in Roseville of a suspected heart embolism. He was 89.

Jameson was born on May 2, 1921 in Buffalo, New York to Everett and Julie Jameson and was the youngest of 2 children.

Jameson graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Zoology from Cornell University in 1943. He spent 2 years as an officer in the U.S. Navy during World War II travelling to Africa and the South Pacific. He received his Masters degree in Zoology from University of Kansas in 1946 and a Ph.D. in Zoology from Cornell University in 1948, joining the Department of Zoology at UC Davis the same year.

Jameson went on to study mice in Quincy, Calif., and chiggers (a type of parasitic mite) and fleas in Japan, Taiwan and Korea. In 1958 he was awarded a Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship to support his work. He spent his time teaching, publishing and studying mice and lizards. He retired in 1988.

Jameson was also an accomplished author and wrote books on California mammals, hawking and Chinese characters. An avid falconer, he captured and raised several hawks over the years. Prior to his death, he was working on a new book on the evolution of North American mammals.

Jameson is survived by his wife of 43 years, Sumiko, who he met in Japan; and their two daughters and one grand-daughter; and three daughters, five grandchildren and one great-grandchild from a previous marriage.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, Aug. 20 at 1 p.m. at Lambert Funeral Home on 400 Douglas Blvd, Roseville, followed by a gathering at La Provence, 110 Diamond Creek Place, Roseville.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to The Nature Conservancy www.nature.org.