Roger Slothower, a geographic scientist at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, died suddenly of an apparent heart attack May 19 in Ithaca.

A member of the Cornell community since 1990, when he arrived to teach a course on Geographic Information Systems in the Department of Natural Resources, Slothower moved to the Lab of Ornithology in 1996 in bird population studies. The following year he joined the information science team, where he has worked since.

"Roger was a remarkable and outgoing friend around the lab and all over the Ithaca community," said Lab of Ornithology Director John Fitzpatrick. "He exhibited a true love for both life and people. His joy and friendship were infectious."

At the Lab of Ornithology, Slothower specialized in creating sophisticated maps tied to various citizen-science projects and other public databases. It is estimated that he created approximately 8 million maps.

He began his work in geography as a computer analyst for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Alaska and was the federal coordinator for GIS on the Exxon Valdez oil spill cleanup in Alaska's Prince William Sound. He became interested in birding at Earlham College, where he received a bachelor's degree in biology, later earning a master's degree in biology at the University of Oregon and Ph.D. in natural resources at Cornell.

Slothwer is survived by his wife, Cyndi, three children and extended family.

A memorial service for Slothower was held May 24. Contributions to the "Memorial Fund for the Roger Slothower Family" can be sent to: Mari Cania, Esq., 202 E. State St., #201, Ithaca, NY 14850.