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Richard S. Waritz ’51

March 3, 2022, in Hockessin, Delaware, from Alzheimer’s disease.

Dick was born in the Pacific Northwest, backpacked much of the Cascade Crest Trail, and climbed most of the major mountains in the Cascade range.

At Reed, he wrote his thesis, “Glycine Metabolism in Yeast,” advised by Prof. Arthur Livermore [chemistry 1948–65]. Dick went on to earn a PhD in chemistry/biochemistry from Stanford University, was a diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology, a fellow of the Academy of Toxicology Sciences, and had entries in Who’s Who In America, Who’s Who in the World, and Who’s Who in Medicine and Healthcare.

Dick’s employment career began as a toxicologist at the DuPont Company, where he managed the BioSciences group at Haskell Laboratory for Toxicology and Industrial Medicine. He then worked as manager of the toxicology group at the Hercules Company. Upon retiring, he formed BioSante International, an independent toxicology consulting company servicing clients throughout the world.

“Everything in this world except radiation is a chemical,” he wrote, explaining his life’s work in toxicology. “I feel that anything that contributes to the safe creation, use, and disposal of the chemicals that may become part of our daily life is a humanitarian contribution. Biochemically trained chemists are in a unique position to make that contribution. I was fortunate to have worked for two socially  responsible, major international chemical companies. When I told them a proposed product was too toxic for its proposed use, and explained why, it was always dropped.”

During his retirement years, he and his wife, Ruth, traveled all over the world. At home, he kept himself busy working with wood, leather, jewelry, and stained glass; fixing things; and figuring out how to keep squirrels out of the bird feeders. He also loved fishing, golfing, bowling, crossword puzzles, and sudoku.

Ruth died in 2017. Dick is survived by his four children, Joyce Farmer, Sharon Waritz, Gary Waritz, and Carol Buccio.

Appeared in Reed magazine: September 2022

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