Gustavo Marcelo Sbatella passed away on August 2, 2017 in a motorcycle accident outside of Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada.

Gustavo was born on October 17, 1964.  He was the son of Ricardo Aristides Sbatella and Maria Elena Alion and grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

He received his bachelor’s degree in agronomy from the Universidad de Nacional de Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1990. He came to Wyoming in 2002 where he earned his master’s degree in 2004, and his doctorate degree in 2006, both in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources from the University of Wyoming.

Following his education, he worked as a Post Doctoral Research Associate for the University of Nebraska from 2007 to 2011, before taking a job as an Assistant Professor at Oregon State University from 2011 to 2014. He returned to Wyoming in 2014 to become an Assistant Professor for the College of Agriculture where he specialized in irrigated crop and weed management. In this position, he taught courses and mentored graduate students, as well as conducted research and managed a valued extension program, the Powell Research and Extension Center for the University.

Perhaps the greatest thing that can be said of Gustavo, is that he loved life and the people in his life. He was a devoted father, grandfather, and friend.  He loved his job and was dedicated to his research with a fervor that he instilled in his many students and colleagues. An avid motorcyclist and outdoors enthusiast, Gustavo often travelled around the state and region, soaking up the scenery on his adventures.

Gustavo was passionate about football (soccer) and brought many people together through his love of the game. During his time at UW, Gustavo was instrumental in organizing the pick-up soccer games and match watch parties among the international students and other soccer aficionados on campus, a tradition that is still going strong today. He has left a legacy of camaraderie, compassion, and fun among those who were privileged to know him.

He is survived by his two children, Ángel Alex Sbatella and Mailen Sbatella, their mother, Maria Rosa Bravo, his two grandchildren, Adrian and Azariel, and his brother Ricardo.

Services will be held in Laramie on Friday, August 11th at Montgomery Stryker Funeral Home with a public viewing from 10:00 – 11:00 am and the funeral to follow at 11:00 am. A memorial reception will take place at the University of Wyoming Animal Sciences Building at 1:00 pm. A memorial account has been set up at UniWyo Federal Credit Union in Gustavo’s name.

In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for contributions to be made to this fund.