Lewis Affronti Sr.

Affronti, Dr. Lewis, Sr.
Forest, Virginia: Dr. Lewis Affronti, Sr., 79, died Wednesday, November 28, 2007. He was the husband of Aileen (Ledford) Affronti for 51 years.
Dr. Affronti was born August 12, 1928, in Rochester, NY, a son of the late John and Mary Least Affronti. During the Korean Conflict, he joined the U.S. Air Force and proudly served our country. He was a Professor Emeritus and Chairman of the Department of Microbiology in the Medical School at George Washington University. He was a member of Holy Cross Catholic Church in Lynchburg, Virginia.
He received his bachelors and masters degrees from the University of Buffalo in New York, and his Ph.D. from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.
Dr. Affronti, with his mentor Dr. Florence Seibert, developed a widely used skin test for detecting tuberculosis: The PPD (purified protein derivative). His later studies involved a type of tuberculosis that commonly infects AIDS patients. He was a consultant for the World Health Organization (W.H.O.) in this field. In addition to his research activities he enjoyed teaching a large number of graduate students and medical students at The George Washington University in Washington D.C. He was a member of many societies including The American Society for Microbiology, The American Society for Clinical Pathology, The American Scientific Research Society, The American Association for the Advancement of Science, and The National Tuberculosis Association.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his sons, Dr. John Affronti and wife Brenda of Elmhurst, IL, and Dr. Lewis Francis Affronti, Jr., and wife Tricia of Virginia Beach; his daughters, Mary Lou Affronti of Durham, NC, and Eileen Geslock and husband Mark of Fredericksburg; his grandchildren, Lewis Francis Affronti, III, and Elizabeth Anne Affronti, both of Virginia Beach, Melissa Joy Johnston and Charlie B. Johnston, both of Durham, NC, and Mark Joseph Geslock, Jack Donald Geslock, and Laura Nichole Geslock, all of Fredericksburg; and a brother, Anthony Affronti and wife Sarah of Arcade, NY.
Interment will be in St. Mary's Cemetery in Geneseo, New York. A visitation will be held in Geneseo, New York. The family will receive friends from 4:00-7:00 p.m. on Friday, December 7, 2007, at the Rector-Hicks Funeral Home, 111 Main Street, Geneseo, NY 14454; (585) 243-0995. A burial mass will be held at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Geneseo, NY, on Saturday, December 8, 2007, at 10:30 a.m.
Memorial contributions may be sent to the Holy Cross Catholic Church Joy Fund, 710 Clay Street, Lynchburg, VA 24504; (434) 846-5245.
Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory, Lynchburg, Virginia, is assisting the family, (434) 237-9424. Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.tharpfuneralhome.com