Zachary Elias Dautrich, 43, of Richmond, CA, passed away on March 6, 2017 of cancer, surrounded by his loving family. He is survived by his parents, Joan and Tom Dautrich of Lititz, PA, his sister and brother-in-law, Kate and Jamie Rubin, his nephew and niece, Wyeth and Wynnie Rubin of Brooklyn, NY and his maternal grandmother, Marie Kelly of Lansdale, PA.

Zach was a 1991 graduate of Lebanon High School and in 1996, graduated from Penn State University with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. In 2006, Zach completed a Naturalist and Permaculture Studies program at the Regenerative Design Institute in Bolinas, CA. He earned his level III Track and Sign Certificate from Cyber Tracker North America in 2014.

He was a Senior Solar Electrical Systems Engineer for NextEra Energy Resources in San Francisco, CA. Zach was also a naturalist, raptor specialist, puma (mountain lion) researcher, nature educator, wildlife author and photographer. His photography and naturalist work lives on through his blog: feralzach.com.

Hiking, camping, biking, yoga, meditation, music, and Penn State sports were his hobbies but his passion was clear to all who knew him; stewardship of the earth by helping people appreciate and live in greater harmony with the natural world. His gentle nature, sense of humor, deep connection to people and his love for animals will be missed by all who knew him.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to two organizations Zach supported: www.justgive.org/zachdautrich A celebration of Zach's life will be held on April 1 at Bent Creek Country Club, Lititz, PA. Visitation from 9:30-11am, celebration at 11am. On April 2 at 10am, family and friends are welcome to be part of a short hike in his honor at Hawk Mountain in Kempton, PA. A west coast memorial will be held later this spring.