Obituary for Henry Fleming Decker Henry Fleming Decker, 88, of Ostrander, died Tuesday, July 17, 2018. He was born June 8, 1930 in Camden, N.J. to Blanche (Fleming) and Henry Decker. He proudly served his country in the U.S. Army as a Reconnaissance Officer in the 7th Infantry Division the Korean War.
He earned his B.A. degree in English and M.S. degree in Agronomy from Rutgers University, and a Ph.D. in Botany from Yale University. He came to Delaware in 1962 as a Professor of Botany at Ohio Wesleyan University. Dr. Decker was President of Buckeye Bluegrass Farms, a research group he founded in 1972.
He was an expert on grasses and served as a consultant to several lawn care companies including the Scotts Company and Barefoot Grass. He researched South and Central American grasses with the Smithsonian Institute, African grasses for the USDA, and in Antarctica with the Byrd Climate and Polar Research Center. He was a co-discoverer of two genera of grasses from Central America and published many papers and articles.
In 1988, he wrote an agronomy textbook with his wife, Dr. Jane M. Decker. In 1965 and in 1992, Dr. Decker was the Smithsonian representative in Belém, Brazil at meetings on the biology of the Amazon. He represented the National Science Foundation in Amsterdam at joint research discussions between American and Dutch small companies.
He received an Award of Excellence from the city of Columbus in 1991 for his development of an innovative growing system using composted wastewater materials in the production of grass sods, bringing visitors from all over the world to his farm in Ostrander. He was awarded several research grants from the National Science Foundation and the USDA. Dr. Decker was awarded over a dozen U.S. patents, largely on innovative plant growing systems.
He is survived by his sister Marian Macgregor of Woodstock, CT, children Susan McLaughlin of Delaware, Emily Decker of Powell, Douglas Decker of Westerville, and Cindy Schu of Seattle, and seven grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Dr. Jane M. Decker, in 1988 and by a son, Daniel M. Decker, in 1972. A graveside service will be held Saturday, July 28, 2018 at 10am at Millcreek Cemetery, Concord Township, in Ostrander with Rev.
Jon Powers officiating. Military honors will be provided by the Delaware Co. Veterans Association. To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Henry Fleming Decker please visit our Sympathy Store.
Upcoming Events Graveside Service , JUL 28. 10:00 AM Millcreek Cemetery Ostrander, OH, US Order Flowers for the Graveside Service Guaranteed delivery before Henry’s Graveside Service begins.
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