Stephen Garrett (Gary) Komlos, age 74, passed away on August 26, 2023, in Palm Harbor, Florida.  Born on March 22, 1949, in Hamilton, Ohio, he was named Andre Garrett Carnochan, the only child of Andre Forbes Carnochan and Mary Jane Garrett.  The couple divorced shortly after his birth.  When he was five years old, his mother remarried and thereafter, he was called “Stephen Garrett Komlos” or “Gary.”

S.G. spent his childhood outside in the woods and fields of southeast Ohio.  He developed a deep connection with nature which led him to study biology at Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio, and then graduate-level biochemical genetics at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.  He was employed at Pfizer Genetics seed division and then became an agribusiness executive with national and international operations.  S.G. saw the big picture and took the long view.  His ideas were ahead of their time.

S.G. married Amy Therese Molden in 1971. Together they pursued their shared interest in the natural world.  With a Guyanese friend from graduate school, S.G. co-founded the Cieba Biological Center in Guyana, South America, where researchers and students gained access to the wonders of the neotropical rain forest. Closer to home, he spearheaded a successful campaign to preserve the last undeveloped waterfront in Pinellas County which is now the northern addition of Wall Springs Park.  S.G. co-hosted a local radio program exploring environmental issues relevant to Tampa Bay. He participated in several local organizations and sought to bring them together to form the Alliance for a Livable Pinellas.

Stephen Garrett Komlos is survived by his wife, Amy Molden Komlos; his mother, Mary Jane Komlos; his aunt, Jean Garrett Baker; and many fine nieces, nephews, and cousins.