Michael Dyer Netherland
October 16, 2018
Dr. Michael Dyer Netherland “Mike” passed away after a long battle with cancer in the Haven Hospice Care Center, Gainesville, Florida on Tuesday, October 16, 2018 at the age of 54.
Mike is survived by his loving wife of 31 years Marci Love Netherland (Gainesville, FL); his son Luke Dyer Netherland (Gainesville, FL); his daughter Sarah Love Netherland (Ft. Myers, FL); his parents, Dr. Edwin Lane Netherland and Joelene Wisel Netherland (Lawton, OK); his 3 sisters Laurie Netherland Lewis (Hillsboro TX), Connie Netherland Hays (Edmond, OK), and Kathy Netherland (Lawton, OK). He is preceded in death by his paternal grandparents Edwin and Gladys Netherland (Uniondale, Indiana) as well as his maternal grandparents Charlie and Lucille Wisel (Roanoke, Indiana).
Mike was born on November 16, 1963 in Huntington, Indiana to Lane and Joelene Netherland. He graduated from Eisenhower High School in 1982 (Lawton, OK); from Cameron University in 1986 (Lawton, OK) with a BS in Biology; from Purdue University (West Lafayette, Indiana) in 1989 with a MS in Botany and later earned his Ph.D. in Agronomy from the University of Florida (Gainesville, FL) in 1999.
Mike was accomplished as a Research Scientist and currently worked for U.S. Army Corps of Engineer and was located at the University of Florida’s Center for Aquatic and invasive Plants in Gainesville, FL. He was a caring, dedicated individual who loved science, history and had an insatiable love of reading. He was passionate about education and loved interacting with the scientific community all over the world. He was an active and dedicated member of the Aquatic Plant Management Society both nationally and in local state chapters throughout the US. All that knew Mike will miss his wit and ability to inject humor to any situation.
Mike requested memorial contributions may be made to the Aquatic Plant Management Society Graduate Student Research Grant (APMS GSRG) or the Florida Aquatic Plant Management Society Scholarship & Research Foundation (FAPMS SRF). Please include Mike’s name and specify which society on the memo line. Mailing address for both is 7922 NW 71st Street, Gainesville, FL 32653; apms14@hotmail.com. Memorial donations may also be made to Haven Hospice in Gainesville, FL at www.beyourhaven.org/donate, or mailed to 4200 NW 90 Blvd, Gainesville, FL 32606. Please visit his memorial page at Crevasse’s Simple Cremations, Gainesville, FL (352) 379-3779; http://www.crevassesimplecremation.com/obituary/michael-netherland
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Our deepest sympathy to all of you. Mike was such a humble loving person.
We send our heartfelt condolences to you, Marcie.
Our deepest and heartfelt condolences.
Marci, Luke and Sarah- We know that what you are going through right now is very difficult, just know that we’re here for you. We’re truly sorry for your loss.
My condolences to the Netherland family.
You are all in our thoughts and hearts. We were welcomed like family when we came to Gainesville, and our lives are more full having known you and Mike. Know you are loved.
Mike was a great person. We are deeply sorry for your loss.
Marcie, Luke, and Sarah: Our hearts are very saddened at Mike’s passing. our family has wonderful memories of our times with Mike. We will see you all at the celebration of his life in Oklahoma, Friday. Praying for God’s peace in your hearts and know Mike is at peace and free of pain in His loving arms. Aunt Jean and Uncle Joe
My thoughts and prayers are with the Netherland family during this difficult time.
Mike was a good man who will be missed by all who knew him. Our prayers are with Marcie, Luke and Sarah.
Marci, Luke, Sarah Mike was more than a colleague, he was a friend. Though it doesn’t make me miss him any less, I am thankful that I have so many memories. May you be blessed with strength and encouragement during this time.
Marci, much love to you, Sarah and Luke. We are so very grateful for the time we got to spend with you guys last year. We have such great memories of our times with our first Indiana friends!
I worked with Mike on many projects in Washington state starting with a series of Army Corps of Engineers projects on the Pend Oreille River in the late 80’s. Mike was a wonderful scientist and shared his expertise willingly with state researchers. When we started our own research projects about aquatic plant management in Washington, Mike was one of the scientists that helped us design research protocols. In addition to Mike being so willing to help out with his scientific expertise, Mike was such fun to be around. Mike was always one of my favorite people and I enjoyed being able to bounce research ideas back and forth with him, knowing that he would always give me honest advice. I know that Mike will be sorely missed by his family, friends, and all the people that he worked with and influenced all around the country. So sorry to see him gone so soon. Aquatic plant researchers and managers everywhere will feel his loss.
Mike was an extraordinary and gifted person who had a positive effect on everyone who knew him. I am honored to have worked with him and to have been considered a friend. His untimely passing is a profound loss to all of us. My deepest sympathy to Marci, Luke and Sarah, and to Mike’s many friends.
I am so sorry to hear of Mike’s passing. Over the years I worked with him on many projects in Minnesota and I truly appreciated his thoughtfulness, his can do attitude, and his optimistic outlook. He was a really brilliant scientist who always made time to share his insights with others working in aquatic plant management.
Although Mike still had so much more to give, his contributions to the scientific community will live on forever. Mike’s significant contributions have helped to make me who I am today. Thank you Mike.
My deepest condolences to the Netherland Family. May the Lord keep you and give you comfort.
Mike was an inspiration to all of us working on aquatic plants. His dedication, careful approach to his research, and his sense of humor always added so much to those he collaborated with – and to the people whose lives he touched.
I extend my deepest sympathies to the Netherland family. Mike was an incredible person, scientist, and friend to all that met him. He had a profound impact on aquatic plant management throughout the world, especially in Florida. The residents and visitors of the State of Florida will never understand how much he positively impacted the environmental resources of this state. We will miss him dearly.
Mike’s passion, creativity and care for all he interacted with is a gift that can always be treasured and will be missed.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to you. Mike will be sorely missed by his friends in South Carolina.
Marci, Luke and Sarah – Mike was such a one in a million person. A great scientist, co-worker, and most of all friend. He will be greatly missed. My thoughts and prayers are with all of you during this difficult time.
My deepest sympathies to Mike’s family, friends, and coworkers. I had the pleasure of working with Mike for many years and was always in awe of his professionalism as well as his keen, quick sense of humor. He is missed.
Kind thoughts of Mike and the memories he left with us.
My deepest sympathies to the Netherland family. May your saddened hearts be healed knowing his successful legacy in the science of aquatic plant management lives on through his published papers and the many lives he touched over the his years of dedication. He is now in a better place, but will not be forgotten.
Marci, I am praying for you and the kids. May God comfort and strengthen you, giving you His peace that surpasses all understanding. Debra Robinson Goodman
Mike was a tremendous mentor for me during my masters at Florida. He had an amazing capacity to take things in stride with such joy, laughter, and a great smile. He really helped me to see a brighter side of life in the aquatic sciences. He will be missed.
Please accept our condolences from the other side of the world. We recognize Mike as a cornerstone of aquatic plant management in the USA and he had a major influence on aquatic plant management downunder, collaborating with colleagues in both New Zealand and Australia. We valued his openness, insightful conversation and his willingness to contribute on a range of projects over several decades. We appreciated his intellect and the unique sense of humour that he brought to our interactions. He was a good friend and will very much be missed. Deb, Paul, Tony, Dan, John and Rohan.
My thoughts and prayers go out to the Netherland family. Mike always had a such a calm, positive way of looking at a situation. I will miss his wit and insight.
I’ve had the pleasure of working with Mike each summer over the past 5 years on an aquatic invasive species project in the Erie Canal. He has been a mentor to myself, and has inspired my interns and volunteers. I’ll always think of him when I wear my Western New York Frozen and Refrigerated Food Association hat in the field – he asked me what ‘Whinny-Ferfa’ was and I was so confused, until he pointed out my hat said WNYFRFA. A silly story but one that says so much about Mikes ability to have fun in any situation, at any time. I will greatly miss seeing him each summer. I wish your family comfort during this difficult time. Rest In Peace, Mike
I always enjoyed having MIke around my home so many years ago. I knew him to be a good, kind and caring young man and that he would grow to be an even better man. He surpassed my expectations.
Dear Marci, Luke, and Sarah, We are so sorry to hear of Mike’s passing. We have been praying for Mike and for all of you for a long time; we will continue to pray for you. Mike was an important person in our science; but more importantly he was a friend throughout the past 28 years.
I was so pleased to read the various comments about Mike especially those regarding his professionalism and scientific prowess. Mike was a student in two of my classes which made for an interesting relationship; however, he asked for no favors and I gave him none. He made an A grade in both classes. I will miss his smile and his laughter; however, he will always be with me in my memories. He was the best son a man could ever have and I will forever be grateful he was mine for awhile. I think the measure of Mike as a man and a person can be encapsulated in the following: "When he was a little boy, I took him fishing in Smith’s pond. When he became a man, he took me fishing in the ocean."
I feel so privileged to have worked with Mike over the years. If I ever had a technical question, I know I could call Mike and get a straight answer. He was always so willing to help others and to do the right thing. A good man is gone but the example he set will live on. My deepest condolences go out to the family.
Mike and I played on the same little league (4th grade) football team – the Crosby Park Longhorns. He was the quarterback and I was one of his linemen. I recall, one time at practice, the coach lined all of us players up, two separate lines, facing each other, one pair at a time. The drill involved one player as ball carrier and the other as defender – the coach identified a narrow place for the "play" to occur between two narrowly placed pylons. As things progressed, it turned out that Mike and I would face each other…i remember thinking, "…this is gonna be fun…" Mike got the ball, the coach blew the whistle, and I (literally) lowered my head and charged. The next thing I remember was all the team and coaches laughing because I was on the ground, more than a little bit confused, and Mike was across the "goal line". He simply had side-stepped my charge at just the right time. I learned from that drill something I have tried to remenber ever since – keep your head up, watch where you are going; a very good lesson for a 9-year old and, I think, for everyone. Mike and I were classmates and friends throughout our elementary and secondary school days until we graduated highschool in 1982. Thoroughout all those years, he impressed us all with his intellect and, maybe even more, with his sense of humor – he truly had a gift for making people laugh. I feel blessed to have known Dr. Mike Netherland.