Obituary: David Foulis, Professor Emeritus of Mathematics and Statistics

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David James Foulis, 87, of Amherst, professor emeritus of mathematics and statistics, died April 3.

Born in Hinsdale, Illinois, on July 26, 1930, he lived in Illinois until he was 15, when he moved to South Miami Beach, Florida, graduating from Ponce de Leon High School. He earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Miami in 1952, a master’s in mathematics there in 1953, and a Ph.D. in mathematics from Tulane University in 1958.

He joined UMass Amherst in 1965 and was a professor of mathematics for 32 years, helping to build the graduate mathematics program. He retired in 1997. During his career, he published seven undergraduate mathematics textbooks, many with co-author Mustafa A. Munem.

After retiring, he went on to author or co-author more than 50 papers.

He was predeceased by his wife of 40 years, Hyla (Gold) Foulis, on Dec 22.

He is survived by his brother James and wife Mary; and sons David, Dean, and Scott and their wives Michelle (Schwerdt), Jill Martyn, and Jill (Moscicki).

There will be a graveside service for both David and Hyla at Wildwood Cemetery, 70 Strong St., Amherst, on Monday, May 21, at noon.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in David’s name to the Wounded Warrior Project.