Memorial For Lynn Wiley, UC Davis Professor, Set for June 30

A memorial service for Lynn Wiley, a UC Davis professor of medicine killed Saturday in an airplane crash, has been scheduled. It will be held on Wednesday, June 30, at 11 a.m. at St. James Catholic Church, 200 W. 14th Street, in Davis. Dr. Wiley, an expert on reproductive biology, died when the small plane she was piloting crashed on takeoff from Paso Robles Municipal Airport. Wiley, a licensed commercial pilot, was carrying four skydivers up for a parachute jump; two were killed in the crash, one died Sunday and a fourth remains hospitalized. Dr. Wiley's research focus was the very early development of animal embryos. She recently established that the effects of radiation, such as that experienced by survivors of atomic bombs, can be passed down through generations. She showed that after male mice were exposed to radiation, their embryonic grandsons did not develop normally. Those grandsons that survived to maturity weighed less than normal mice and their sperm were less efficient at fertilization. She was nominated this year for the prestigious UC Davis Prize for Undergraduate Teaching and Scholarly Achievement, said Joseph Silva, dean of the UC Davis School of Medicine. Dr. Wiley was loved by her family, friends and students for her humor and her intensity. She brought an unusual focus to her research and her hobbies -- flying, ballet dancing, exercising and reading, said her husband of 12 years, Jan Conroy. "She was the best boss anybody could ever ask for, very caring and always willing to help you out," said Dr. Janet Baulch, one of Dr. Wiley's students. "And she always made sure that we not only did our academic duties but also that we exercised and had an outside life, that we were dedicated to something else beside the science." Lynn Wiley is survived by her husband, Jan Conroy, of Davis; her mother, Aziyade Maxey, of Laguna Beach; and several aunts, uncles and cousins. Contributions may be made to the Lynn M. Wiley Memorial Fund, with checks payable to the UC Davis Foundation, c/o University Relations, 540 Mrak Hall, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616.

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Andy Fell, Research news (emphasis: biological and physical sciences, and engineering), 530-752-4533, ahfell@ucdavis.edu