Leslie J. Mehrhoff died suddenly on Dec. 22, at his home in Willington. He was 60.

Mehrhoff was born on March 16, 1950 in Morris Plains, N.J. He received his BS from New England College, and his MS and Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut. After working for the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, he joined the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UConn, where he worked as curator of the George Safford Torrey Herbarium and later as scientific collections manager, research associate, and director of the Invasive Plant Atlas of New England. He retired in July 2009.

A naturalist, he was involved in organizations including the Connecticut Botanical Society, New England Wildflower Society, and the Torrey Botanical Club. He was also a member of various committees such as the Arnold Arboretum at Harvard University, the Connecticut chapter of The Nature Conservancy, and the Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group.

Mehrhoff was a champion of all living things, releasing insects found indoors to the safety of their natural habitat and working to eradicate invasive species through his teachings and field work.

He was also an avid fan of the UConn Men’s Soccer team.

Mehrhoff is survived by his wife Olga, daughter Jessie, and field-dog Moxie.

A celebration of his life will be held in Storrs, at a date to be announced. His family asks that in his memory, those who knew him perform an act of kindness for the preservation of the environment.

To express condolences, please visit www.potterfuneralhome.com for the online memorial guestbook.