John R. Bristol ’61

John R. “Jack” Bristol ’61, a nationally recognized parasitologist, professor of biological sciences, and high-level administrator at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), died Jan. 14, 2023, in El Paso. He was 84.

He majored in biology at Cornell and then taught high school biology in Cleveland, Ohio. He married his college sweetheart, Sally Cook ’61, in 1961 and they had two children, Scott and Kelly. In 1970 he earned a Ph.D. from Kent State and began his long career at UTEP. In 1975 Bristol married his second wife, Lillian Mayberry. They both held degrees in parasitology and shared a lab. Their long collaboration produced an extensive record of scientific publications, presentations, and participation in professional organizations.

At UTEP he held leadership positions at every level of administration except the presidency, including vice president for academic affairs, special assistant to the president for external affairs, and dean of the college of science. He was a Fulbright Research Fellow and consultant for the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. When he retired in 1998, he continued to serve the university as director of the Texas Western Press.

Bristol was involved in the Woodturners of El Paso and was a member of the El Paso Council for International Visitors, where he served as president; the El Paso Downtown Lions Club where he served as a director; and the University Presbyterian Church, where he served as an elder. 

He is survived by his wife and two children.