Timothy Joe Wade

Timothy Joe Wade, born on August 5, 1967 in New Orleans at the hospital where his father had just started his internship to become a doctor. Timothy died peacefully on July 4, 2026 at home in Chapel Hill, NC with his wife of 28 years, Irene Doherty, and two daughters present, Hadley Wade (age 24) and Claudia Wade (age 22). Tim led a full and meaningful life.

After living in Mill Valley, CA for half of his childhood, his family moved to Palm Desert, CA. He learned and played tennis – a lot of tennis, cultivating his passion for the sport. His father taught him to play the guitar during third grade, which he played throughout his life and gave him a love for music that he passed on to his daughters.

Tim attended Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, CA (1985-1989) where he earned a bachelor’s degree in psycho-biology.

Tim then worked for an environmental consulting company in Redlands, CA. One task was counting desert tortoises on hot days in the California desert to ensure developers did not destroy their habitat.

Tim joined the Peace Corps in 1992, spending three years in Lesotho, the landlocked country within South Africa, where he taught math and science to high school students. He also created and coached the girls’ volleyball team. He was resourceful; he accepted pamphlets from missionaries to use the blank sides as scrap paper for his students.

Tim’s village gave him the Sotho name Thabo, meaning "Happiness" or "Joy".

Tim returned to CA and attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he earned a master’s degree in public health (MPH) in Epidemiology/Biostatistics in 1998 and a doctorate degree in Epidemiology, completed in 2002. During this time, he met his wife, Irene Doherty; they were classmates. Three months after each earning MPHs, they married in August 1998 in Oakland, CA.  Their first daughter, Hadley was born in 2001.

Tim’s growing family moved to Chapel Hill, NC in 2003; Hadley was a toddler and Claudia was born about 5 months later. He launched his career at the Environmental Protection Agency that spanned 23 years, from post-doc, to branch chief, and then to senior scientist. He received international recognition for his research on recreational water quality, where the World Health Organization and other professional associations sought his expertise and contribution to major publications.

Tim was a dedicated public servant, thoughtful colleague, exceptional collaborator, and kind and generous mentor. His research truly made the world a safer place and he did it to protect people and not to make a name for himself. For those who were fortunate enough to work with him, he made them better scientists and better people.

Throughout Tim’s life, he had a passion for playing tennis. He ran for every ball, anything remotely reachable, he'd give his all to get it, emblematic of his life. Tim was a fighter who never gave away a point or a game but was a true friend when play was over. After the very last points of tennis, he ever played (in which he hit two winners), he immediately said "send those to my girls" - they were always close to his heart and mind.

His love of family sometimes prevented him from playing due to whatever his daughters might need, date nights and family trips to the beach. He had a wry sense of humor once turning down an offer to play tennis on his anniversary simply commenting that if he wanted to have any more anniversaries it would be wise for him to reschedule.

Tim was a devoted father. He was proud of Hadley and Claudia for their accomplishments big and small. He was the chef and always made sure that his family had dinner, nourishing their bodies and family connection. He was silly when they were little, survived adolescence, and watched them grow into stunning young women.

When first diagnosed with cancer, it saddened Tim deeply that he knew he would not see the people who they would become. Nevertheless, his spirit, courage, grace, and family love propelled his daughters and wife to make memories and cherish the time they had with him.

Tim died from non-small cell lung cancer. Although he received the best treatment at UNC in Chapel Hill, the cancer cells continued to mutate until there were no more medications to stop them from spreading to his brain and spinal cord. Contributions to the Lineberger Cancer Research Center at UNC at Chapel Hill in Tim’s memory can be made below.

https://give.unc.edu/hfdonate?t=twade 

Tim is survived by father Donald Wade, mother Bonnie Wade, his loving aunt, Judy Hoffman Wade, and siblings Erica Wade, Brad Wade and his wife Angela Wade, and Taylor Wade and their children. Erica’s children are Sequoia, Raven, and Alma. Brad’s children are Violet, Silas, and Seth. He is also survived by mother-in-law Cecelia Doherty Schrum, brother in-laws Edward Doherty, Stephen and his wife Jennifer Doherty, and their three sons, Ryan, Sean, and Liam Doherty.

The world has lost a wonderful soul, brilliant scientist and colleague, friend, and devoted husband and father, Timothy Joe Wade.