Prof. Dr. Gebhard F.B. Schumacher died peacefully on the morning of March 31, 2014.
Harry was born June 13, 1924 in Osnabrueck, Germany. Harry, as he known among friends, grew up in post World War I Germany with his parents, Kaspar and Margarethe. Drafted in 1942 at age of 17, he survived the Eastern front as a Lieutenant in an artillery regiment and was taken prisoner in 1945. His time as a British POW ended with the resumption of his Medical studies at the University of Goettingen.
Harry’s interest in medical research began with an opportunity to conduct experiments in the electrophoretical separation of serum proteins which resulted in a PhD dissertation and post doctoral studies at the Max Planck Institute at the University of Tuebingen. Insights gained during the post doctoral years were to prove invaluable for Harry’s later academic career as an OB/GYN, reproductive biologist and immunologist.
During his time in Tuebingen, Harry met and married Annerose Zanker in 1958. The couple celebrated the birth of their first son in 1960. The coming years presented the first opportunity to conduct research as an Asst. Professor at the University of Chicago where he spent one year, celebrated the birth of a second son and subsequently returned to Germany 1964, only to return to the US in 1965…this time to Albany, NY at the Albany Medical College.
The family finally settled back in Chicago in 1967 when Harry was offered an Asst. Professorship in the Dept of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Harry’s tenure at the University of Chicago resulted in numerous ground-breaking contributions in Reproductive Biology, Endocrinology and Infertility ending with his retirement as Full Professor in 1990.
Harry is survived by his wife Anne, his sons Michael & Marc, daughters-in-law Donna & Yihong as well as his grandchildren Marlon & Audrey. A memorial service is planned for Saturday, April 5, 2014. 10am until time of service at 11am at Tews Funeral Home, 18230 Dixie Hwy. Homewood, IL 60430 (tewsfuneralhomes.com, 708-957-1019).
Thank you for your thoughts of Harry and his family. Please send a contribution in Harry’s name to the American Red Cross in lieu of flowers (www.redcross.org with acknowledgements to [email protected]).
Please join the family to celebrate and recall the life and accomplishments of this extraordinary man for a reception and light lunch at the Glenwood Oaks Restaurant, 106 Main St. Glenwood, IL 60425 (708-758-4400), after the memorial.
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