Anthony San Pietro (1922--2008) is deceased

[Govindjee-2]

Readers of Photosyn@...
President of ISPR Jim Barber
Past President of ISPR Eva-Mari Aro
Treasurer of ISPR: Barry Osmond

I am extremely sad to share with you the news of Tony San Pietro's death
on September, 13, 2008. Please read the letter from Tony's family.
Hopefully, ISPR will be able to inform its members about it through its
web site.
Kind regards,

Govindjee
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

It is with great sadness that I inform you of the passing of our beloved
father Anthony (Tony) San Pietro.

Jodie San Pietro
-------------------------------------------------------------------



Anthony G. San Pietro, 86
April 22, 1922 - September 13, 2008

Anthony G. San Pietro passed away on September 13, 2008 at the Meadowood
Health Pavilion at the age of 86.

Born on April 22, 1922 in Brooklyn, New York, Tony (as he was known to
friends and colleagues) originally aspired to become a singer.  When he
was in high school, he purchased booklets of song lyrics from street
vendors and emulated the popular singers of the time.  Despite his
obvious talent, he chose instead a career path in scientific research
and education, which spanned fifty years.

Tony graduated from New York University in 1942.  He was inducted into
the Army in October 1942 and entered the Army Specialized Training
Program (ASTP) where he studied electrical engineering.  Upon completion
of the ASTP, he spent the remainder of his military service at the
Manhattan Project, Los Alamos, New Mexico as a member of the
Biochemistry Group.  After military service, he attended graduate school
at Columbia University where he was awarded his Ph.D. in Biochemistry in
1951.

The decade Tony spent at Johns Hopkins University was memorable both on
a scientific and personal level.  He held a post-doctoral position in
biochemistry from 1952 to 1954.  In 1954, he joined the faculty as an
Assistant Professor in Biology and the McCollum- Pratt Institute.  He
became an Associate Professor in 1959. It was during his time at Johns
Hopkins that Tony met his future wife, Alice King, who was working as an
X-ray technician.  Even fifty years later, he still fondly remembered
every detail of their first date.

He joined the Charles F. Kettering Research Laboratory in Yellow
Springs, Ohio in 1962, where he was involved in the creation of a
first-rate laboratory in Photosynthesis and Nitrogen Fixation Research.
While in Yellow Springs, he also made time to teach a biochemistry
course at Antioch College.

Tony San Pietro served as the Chairman of the Plant Science Department
at Indiana University, Bloomington from 1968 until 1977.   He became a
Charter Member of the Johns Hopkins Society of Scholars in 1969.   He
was given the title of Distinguished Professor of Plant Biochemistry by
Indiana University in 1975.  He was especially proud to be elected to
the National Academy of Sciences in 1983.  He was also awarded an
Honorary Doctor of Science Degree by Purdue University in 1992 and
retired from the Indiana University faculty that same year.

During his fifty years in science, Tony was fortunate to have
collaborated with a large number of scientists from around the country
and all over the world.  He traveled extensively -- including fourteen
trips to Japan before he retired.  A number of Japanese scientists came
to do research in his laboratory both in Yellow Springs and Bloomington.
Similarly, he had extensive collaboration with scientists from European
countries, England and Israel.  He was truly honored to have their
friendship as well as their respect.  His service with international
programs of the National Science Foundation and the National Research
Council helped place Indiana University prominently on the international
map.

Tony continued to make contributions to the educational and scientific
communities after his retirement.  He participated in the Faculty and
Staff for Student Excellence (FASE) mentoring program until 2003.  He
was instrumental in creating an Alliance for Minority Participation in
Science, Mathematics, and Engineering.  He worked as a consultant for
the Solar Energy Research Institute (later National Renewable Energy
Laboratory, NREL) in Golden, CO from 1978 to 1982 and again from 1995 to
2006.  He also began a consulting agreement with COOK Biotechnology,
Inc. in West Lafayette, IN, in 1997, which continued until recently.

Tony San Pietro is survived by his loving children, James Robert of
Lafayette, IN, Laura Ellen of Studio City, CA and Judith (Jodie) Alane
of  Springfield, VA.  He was preceded in death by his dear wife Alice, a
well-known watercolor artist and his parents Rimetrio (James) and Maria
(Cibelli) San Pietro.

Funeral services will be announced at a future date.  Memorial
contributions to the American Heart Association and the American Cancer
Society will be sincerely appreciated.

Online condolence to the family may be made at www.mem.com
<http://www.mem.com/> .




Contact information:

Jamie, Laura & Jodie San Pietro
1621 Pickwick Place
Bloomington, IN  47401
[phone] (home phone)

jamessanpietro@...
[phone]

laurasanpietro@...
[phone]

Judith.San.Pietro@...
[phone]


LIST OF THOSE WHO HAVE RECEIVED MESSAGE FROM Jody  San Pietro
(via e-mail of Judith San Pietro)

---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Subject: Anthony San Pietro
From:    "San Pietro, Judith \(CRT\)" <Judith.San.Pietro@...>
Date:    Sun, September 21, 2008 22:17
To:      "Benemann, John" <jbenemann@...>
         "Bessman, Maurice" <zoot@...>
         "Black, Clanton" <ccblack@...>
         "Bleyer, Mark" <mbleyer@...>
         "Bosin, Talmage" <bosin@...>
         "Brand, Jerry" <jbrand@...>
         "Brune, Daniel" <DanBrune@...>
         "Gest, Howard" <hgest@...>
         "Ghirardi, Maria" <maria_ghirardi@...>
         "Golbeck, John" <jhg5@...>
         "Govindjee" <gov@...>
         "Heiser, Charles" <cbheiser@...>
         "Hiles, Michael" <hiles@...>
         "Keister, Don" <keist@...>
         "Mahn, Ginny" <gmahn@...>
         "Maness, Lindsay" <lvmaness@...>
         "Maness, Pinching" <pinching_maness@...>
         "Mezzina, Al" <almezzin@...>
         "Miller, Carlos" <millerc@...>
         "Reeves, Robert" <bobreeves@...>
         "Robbins, Ed" <erobbins@...>
         "Rogers, Sharon" <Saron.Rogers@...>
         "Rossmeissl, Neil" <neil.rossmeissl@...>
         "Seibert, Mike" <mike_seibert@...>
         "Siedow, James" <jim.siedow@...>
         "Starker, Janos" <starker@...>
         "Tanenbaum, Stuart" <stumeritus@...>
         "Weinberg, Gene" <eweinber@...>
         "Weissbach, Art" <artweissbach@...>
         "Wittenberg, Jonathan" <bwitten@...>





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