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Basil Georgopoulos
Basil Georgopoulos, a member of the Institute for Social Research (ISR) research faculty for 35 years, died suddenly March 27, 2004. He was 64 and had been a member of the U-M-Flint faculty for nearly 32 years.
"His death is going to leave a huge hole," says biology faculty member Dennis Viele, who was a student of Studier. "He had a huge impact on the students who came through here. They would often tell him how much his class helped them with their later studies."
"Gene was the biology department's backbone and guided the direction of the department for decades," says College of Arts and Sciences Dean D.J. Trela. "His sudden death leaves all of us who knew him and appreciated his commitment to his students, colleagues and friends in the Biology Department and college deeply saddened."
Shortly after his death, the Board of Regents offered a memorial statement in his honor.
"Professor Studier was instrumental in developing the biology curriculum during a period of major growth in the department," the statement said. "He served as department chair from 1978-85 and from 1994-2000, and he was also the impetus in creating the Master of Science in Biology degree program in 2000. Professor Studier served as the director of the degree program and provided the motivating force for its development."
The regents' statement noted that Studier served on 14 departmental and University committees.
Studier received his bachelor of science degree from the University of Dubuque and his doctorate from the University of Arizona. He had more than 90 articles published in refereed journals. His research was widely known and focused on all aspects of bat biology. His expertise in the study of bats earned him the nickname "Batman," and he often traveled to places such as Costa Rica, Peru and Mexico to study the nocturnal creatures. He also wrote about fish, crickets and small mammals.
Studier was an avid golfer. According to his colleagues he would golf almost every day from the start of spring to the end of summer. His other hobbies included fishing and gardening. "He was never, never in a bad mood and (was) one of the nicest people you could ever meet," Viele says. "He brought flowers in every day for the secretaries. He always said there were two things he loved to do-go to work and go home to see his family."
Services for Studier were held March 31 at Swartz Funeral Home in Flint. He is survived by his wife, Ann; children David of St. Ignace, Robb and wife Carrie of Queensbury, N.Y., Hollie and husband John Jacobs, son, Scott, all of New Mexico; and three grandchildren.
A scholarship fund has been established in Studier's name. To date nearly $6,500 has been raised for the fund from donations and a recent bowl-a-thon. Checks can be made to "U-M-Flint Studier Scholarship" and submitted to the Office of Institutional Advancement.
Gail W. Rector
Gail W. Rector, president emeritus of the University Musical Society (UMS), Born Feb. 14, 1918, in North Platte, Neb., Rector came to Ann Arbor as a bassoon student in 1937 at the School of Music, which then was housed under the auspices of UMS. He received his bachelor's degree in music in 1940 and completed one year toward a master's degree in business before he was drafted into service in the armed forces during World War II. As a student, he was part of the first ensemble that performed on the Rackham Auditorium stage (1939).
After four years in the South Pacific, where he saw action in Guadalcanal and Bougainville, he returned to Ann Arbor, where he began study toward a degree in business. He began working at UMS in 1945 as an assistant to then-President Charles Sink, serving in that capacity for nine years before moving to Boston, where he spent three years as assistant manager of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and executive secretary of the Berkshire Music Center.
In 1957, Sink recruited Rector to return as UMS's executive director, a position that he held until 1968, when he also became UMS's fifth president since its founding in 1879.
After his retirement, he was retained by Detroit Symphony Orchestra Hall, where he worked to develop a presenting program at the hall.
Rector died peacefully after a long struggle with cancer on Oct. 21, 2004 his 72nd birthday.
Oberman was known internationally for his contributions to the fields of both anatomic and clinical pathology-a rare achievement in the highly specialized field of pathology. He took equal pride and honor in counseling individual patients and their families as they faced difficult decisions regarding diagnosis and treatment.
Oberman received a bachelor's degree from the University of Omaha (Nebraska) in 1953 and a medical degree (cum laude) from the University of Nebraska College of Medicine in 1956. He completed residency training in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology at the U-M Medical School in 1960.
He served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps from 1961-63 as a captain, and was appointed assistant to the chief of the Pathology Service at Walter Reed Army General Hospital in Washington, D.C. Upon completion of military service, he returned to the faculty of the Department of Pathology at U-M until his retirement in 2001.
Oberman served as head of the Section of Clinical Pathology from 1981-87 and as co-director of the Division of Clinical Pathology through 1991. He also was director of the Blood Bank from 1964-2001. He was named active emeritus professor in 2001.
Recognized nationally and internationally as one of the country's preeminent experts in the area of blood banking and blood transfusion, he served as a member of the Medical Advisory Committee for the American National Red Cross and other high-profile committees and panels.
He also achieved recognition as one of the leading authorities in the diagnosis of breast pathology, serving as an organizing member of the Breast Care Center at U-M and as a member of the Breast Cancer Task Force and Advisory Committee for the Michigan Department of Public Health.
For many years, he served as the final arbiter for the diagnosis of the most difficult cases that were submitted to him from around the country. His expertise in both anatomic pathology and clinical pathology was viewed as remarkable, even among his peers, and it represents a gold standard that never will be repeated in academic pathology, colleagues say.
He received numerous awards, including the John Elliott Memorial Award from the American Association of Blood Banks, Founders Award from the Michigan Association of Blood Banks, Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Nebraska College of Medicine, and he was named as one of the 2000 Best Doctors in America in 1992, 1995 and 1997. He also edited several journals, spoke at national events, and wrote numerous articles and book chapters.
Oberman was recognized as an outstanding teacher; he received honors such as the Elizabeth Crosby Award (outstanding professor in basic sciences) from the Medical School and an Excellence in Teaching Award from medical students.
He reveled in the role of teacher and mentor; he and his wife Marylen frequently invited students from his laboratory to their home for a social gathering to mark the end of the school term.
A man colleagues say had a generous and warm heart, Oberman found pleasure in the day-to-day joys of life in Ann Arbor. He loved fall for its poignant reminder of fleeting beauty and for the vibrancy of Michigan football games (for which he insisted on arriving in time to hear "Band take the field"). The son of the late Lillian and Isidore Oberman, he was raised with a passion for poetry, music, learning and chocolate. He is survived by Marylen Segel Oberman, his wife of more than 45 years; his children, Michelle, Debra and Jeffrey; his brother Robert; and his grandchildren; as well as generations of pathology residents, medical students and friends.
A funeral service was held at Temple Beth Emeth Oct. 22. In lieu of flowers, please send contributions to the Department of Pathology, P.O. Box 0602, 1301 Catherine, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 or Temple Beth Emeth Caring Community, 2309 Packard Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48104.
