Master beekeeper, accomplished scientists, beloved family man and friend.

Dr. Wayne Esaias, a former MSBA president, long time master beekeeper, and impetus behind the relaunch of the Howard County Beekeepers, passed away on June 6, 2024 at the age of 79 after a tough fight with pancreatic cancer. A son of the Free State his whole life, he was born in Parkville, educated at Johns Hopkins, and spent his final years in Highland.

A NASA oceanographer for almost 4 decades, Wayne used expertise in remote sensing to both study climate change and to chart nectar flow changes that resulted. He created and led the citizen science project HoneyBee Net, which had beekeepers all over North America placing hives on scales and reporting their results, years before there were digital tools to do so.

In addition to his work at NASA, Wayne was an Adjunct Professor of Entomology at the University of Maryland.

Dr. Wayne mentored dozens of us, and loved to share his expertise and enthusiasm with many other parts of the community. As an Eagle Scout and Boy Scout troop leader, he shared his love for the outdoors and mentored many young scouts. His love for gardening was a lifelong pursuit, particularly creating pollinator gardens and native wildflower meadows. Wayne also enjoyed carpentry, homebrewing, metalwork, birdwatching, and camping.

HCBA President Christina Glorioso Mullan writes, "Wayne has left us a legacy: to promote beekeeping, to educate beekeepers, and to educate the public on the benefits of pollinators.  That's our mission, and it's one that I'm proud for HCBA to keep alive in his memory."

Toni Burnham remembers, "He was always willing to take a call, to spend a minute, to coach and encourage. He was a resource to me and all DC beekeepers on wintering, on troubleshooting hive scales, on keeping perspective, and keeping things both real and positive. We miss him so much!'

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Pollinator Partnership or the Chesapeake Bay Foundation in Wayne's memory. 

[Return to November 2024 BeeLine newsletter]