Obituary of William Wallace Pinch

William Wallace Pinch was born in Hornell, NY on August 15th, 1940 and passed away in Tucson, AZ on April 1st, 2017 at the age of 76. He was a world renowned mineralogist, loving husband, father, and grandfather. He is survived by wife Jacquelyn, daughter Megan, son Michael(Karina), and granddaughter Elise. Pinch was a larger than life collector of many of the earth's rarities including not only minerals but also gems, fossils, and shells, botanicals and rare books. He was a world renowned expert discovering new species and assisting with the description of heretofore unknown and rare minerals, a generous lecturer and teacher, a co-founder of the Rochester Mineralogical Symposium, and a prolific contributor to mineralogical literature. He was admired and respected by many professors, many curators worldwide, scores of internationally renowned collectors, and loved by hundreds of children who have received tours and starter mineral collections from him. He was self taught in his knowledge of minerals. His contributions to his field were so notable that a biannual medal was created in his honor - the "Pinch Medal" recognizing excellence by a non professional for contributions to mineralogical science. A reception will be held in Rochester, NY in the coming weeks to celebrate his life. In February of 2018, the Pinch family will hold a memorial in Tucson, Arizona for friends and family to gather and remember Bill. In lieu of flowers, the family asks instead for donations to be made to the Friends of Saguaro National Park at www.friendsofsaguaro.org