It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Dr John Maas on April 11, 2020.

Dr. Maas worked as a USDA-ARS strawberry pathologist at Beltsville, Maryland, for 34 years. Dr. Maas transgressed the bounds of traditional plant pathology, recognizing the necessity to develop skills in several areas of horticulture. Thus, close working associations were formed with horticulturists across North America and abroad. Dr. Maas’s relationships with a series of five strawberry breeders there was both rare and exemplary, leading to the development of strawberry cultivars known for their natural disease resistance. Through the years, Dr. Maas has collaborated with and supported numerous researchers, students, visiting scientists, and technicians and will always been remembered as a collaborator who carried more than his share of the load. Of particular interest to Dr. Maas was to foster the strawberry research of others as well as to form research collaborations. This interest and devotedness for helping other researchers lead to service as Editor of NASGA’s Advances in Strawberry Research for 10 years; Editor of two editions of the Compendium of Strawberry Diseases published by the American Phytopathological Society (APS); Co-editor of two proceedings of the International Society of Horticultural Science (ISHS) strawberry symposia and two International Horticultural Congress symposia; Co-organizer, with Gene Galletta and Pasquale Rosati, of the ISHS Strawberry Working Group, and it's Chair for 6 years; co-organizer, with Gene Galletta, of the 2nd International Strawberry Symposium held in Baltimore, Maryland in 1992; Associate Editor for the Journal of the American Society of Horticultural Science (ASHS) for 2 years and of HortScience for 8 years; and Co-organizer, with Wayne Wilcox and Mike Ellis, and Chair of the Small Fruit Diseases Working Group of the APS. Dr. Maas published over 130 research papers, book chapters, and books on diseases and pathogens of strawberry and other crops, and strawberry pollen morphology, secondary metabolites, phytonutrients, genetics, biotechnology, sources of resistant germplasm, and cultivar development and introduction. Strawberry pathogens researched included fungi, bacteria, phytoplasmas, and viruses.

John was the first recipient of NASGA's Service With Impact Award in 2018 for his dedicated service to the strawberry Industry including his long service of presiding over the North American Strawberry Growers Research Foundation.

John will be missed by many colleagues and friends. Cards and condolences may be sent to 270 True Philia Way, Berkeley Springs WV 25411 USA .

Dr. John Maas Obituary