Tackett, Denise Nielsen, 67, of Paden City, WV died Monday, February 23, 2015 at her home with her devoted husband by her side.

Denise was born April 6, 1947 in New York, NY daughter of the late Denis and Norma (Baxter) Mausolf.
She was a free-lance writer and photographer who lived and worked overseas for fourteen years as a research diver for Arizona State University Cancer Research Institute. During this time she lived in twelve different countries. For ten years she owned an international travel and photography business. Denise discovered, and had named for her, a pigmy seahorse species, Hippocampus denise. She wrote and published three books, was the initial director for the Wetzel County Museum, helping get it off the ground. She was also an avid chef and prepared food celebrating the cuisines of many countries from all around the world.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by a sister, Donna Ridge and her in-laws, Oliver and Edith Tackett.

Surviving are her husband of thirty years, Larry Tackett; sister-in-law, Donna (Gary) Sapp of Paden City, WV; three nieces, Kristen (Andy) Grooms of Summerville, SC, Tammy (Brendan) Boone of Mooresville, NC and Amy (Mike) Sole of Cape Coral, FL.

Friends received 3-6 p.m., Saturday, February 28, 2015 at the Jarvis-Williams Funeral Home in Paden City, WV.

Interment to be held at the convenience of the family with her ashes being returned to her beloved Lembeh Strait in Indonesia.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made, in Denise’s name, to: The Nature Conservancy of West Virginia, Attn: Amy Martin, 194 Airport Rd., Elkins, WV 26241.