Warren Kinzey died peacefully during the early hours of October 1, 1994, at home in Tarrytown, New York. Many of us knew this was coming. Warren was suffering from amyotrophiclateral sclerosis (ALS), LouGehrig's disease. His brother-in-law, Steven, at Warren's side until the final moments along with Julie Kelly, Warren's wife, said Warren went to the last as he did everything, with the dignity of the great teacher that he was.
Warren's life was as full as he could possibly fill it. Hours before the onset of the bout of pneumonia that hospitalized him during the final week of his life, Warren was on the phone to Eric Delson scheduling a trip in to Manhattan. He planned to hear a talk by one his own Ph.D. students, upon her return from thesis research in Madagascar. A month before, he completed a new manuscript on saki monkeys co-written with Marilyn Norconk. Last June he shipped me 16 long chapters on the natural history of New World monkeys, a genus-by-genus account, for a book he was editing. Warren would soon call me back to relate proudly that "New World Primates: Ecology, Behavior and Evolution" had gone off to the publisher. All that activity was made possible by a devoted entourage of family, friends, and graduate students, caring for him and working with him as his muscles wasted from disease. Most of all it was Julie Kelly who enabled Warren to continue the enjoyment of travelling, writing, meeting with students, spending time with his family, and leaving all, including himself, prepared for death% untimely truth. Warren would have been 59 years old on the last day of October, 1994.
Warren is remembered for his pioneering research on New World monkeys as well as his genius as a mentor. He inspired and nurtured many young people and guided them into productive careers, both in and outside