Fred Lotter; Biology Professor

Fred Lotter, a professor of biology at Ventura College, died at the Ventura County Medical Center on March 3 as a result of AIDS. He was 48.

Lotter was born April 10, 1944, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the New Mexico Institute of Technology, a master’s degree from the University of Florida and a doctoral degree from the University of Connecticut.

Lotter joined the faculty of Ventura College in 1976 after a stint with the Florida Department of Fish and Game, during which he helped assess wildlife in the Everglades region. He taught courses in general biology at Ventura College, as well as in microbiology, marine biology and desert biology, a course he developed for the school.

“Fred was extremely conscientious and had established a great deal of respect in the eyes of his students,” said Donald Villeneuve, a retired biology teacher who will step in as Lotter’s replacement for the rest of the semester.

“He was a very good field biologist in the classical sense, who understood the full picture of an organism’s role in the natural ecology,” Villeneuve said.

Thomas O’Neill, the chairman of the Ventura College biology department, described Lotter as a dedicated teacher with a tremendous interest in the marine and desert environments.

“Like a stereotypical New Englander, Fred had a wry sense of humor and was a serious and conscientious professional,” O’Neill said.

O’Neill said the college hopes to establish a memorial scholarship in Lotter’s name. Contributions may be sent to the biology department of Ventura College, 4667 Telegraph Road, Ventura.

Survivors include an aunt, Sylvia Coolidge of Providence, R.I., and a cousin, Clark Coolidge of Hancock, Mass.

A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday at Guthrie Hall on the Ventura College campus. Cremation arrangements are under the direction of Ted M. Mayr Funeral Home, Ventura.