Orrin H. Pilkey

Orrin H. Pilkey passed away peacefully at the age of 90 on December 13, 2024. He was married for 60 years to Sharlene Greenaa, a native Alaskan. They made a home in North Carolina and raised five children: Charles, Linda, Diane, Keith and Kerry, six grandchildren, and one great grandchild. He was preceded in death by his wife, Sharlene; his brother Walter; and beloved grandson Cameron. The world has lost a force of nature and a tireless advocate for the protection of the world’s shorelines.

Orrin was born in Manhattan, New York, to Elizabeth and Orrin Pilkey Sr. The family moved to Richland, Washington where his father worked as an engineer at the Hanford Plutonium plant. Orrin spent 5 summers as a Forest Service smokejumper in Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. A childhood spent romping and roving along the banks of the Columbia River is where he first sprouted his essential relationship with the natural world that flourished the rest of his life.

Orrin began his career studying offshore sediments along the continental east coast. He joined Duke University as a professor in geology to continue his research on Duke’s research vessel the Eastward. He was loved by generations of students, many of whom Orrin collaborated with as they started their own careers. His life direction was forever changed in 1969 by the destruction of his parent’s Waveland, Mississippi home from Hurricane Camille. He shifted his research to studies of shorelines and beaches and the problems of beachfront development in rising seas. Orrin traveled the world to collaborate with scientists and teachers in developed and undeveloped countries. He helped establish coastal geology research programs in Portugal and Colombia. He became a prolific writer, passionate speaker, and an advocate for the protection of beaches. When erosion threatened the demise of the Cape Hatteras lighthouse In North Carolina, Orrin prominently became a proponent of letting it fall in place, until ultimately advocating for the moving of the lighthouse which occurred in 1999.

Orrin ran in marathons in his 40’s, starting with the Boston Marathon. His best time was 2 hours and 56 minutes in the New Orleans marathon (no hills) and his worst was 5 hours and 30 minutes in the NC Mountain Marathon (all hills).

Orrin co-authored many books on sea level rise and climate changes, beach processes, on the impacts of mining beach sand and dunes, on the need for retreat from shoreline erosion, and a book critical of mathematical modeling of beach processes. His full list of books includes two children’s books about the nature of beaches, coauthored with one of his sons. Later in life he received distinguished alumni awards from both Washington State and Florida State Universities.

Orrin never met a person who wasn’t an instant, easy friend. His life was filled with both adventure and mischief. He didn’t shy away from a truth as he saw it even if it was an uncomfortable one. He never lost his curiosity about life. Orrin retired at Croasdaile Village in Durham, where he lived among many companions as he continued to write. 

The Pilkey family is planning a memorial service to be held in the future.