Dr. George D. Webb II

1934 - 2019

Dr. George D. Webb II

Burlington - George Webb, 84, of Burlington died on May 30 of pulmonary fibrosis.

He was born June 22, 1934 in Oak Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. He was the son of John Webb and Dorothy (Fuller) Webb. He graduated Oak Park High School in 1952 and afterwards studied biology at Oberlin College in Ohio, graduating with a BA in 1956. It was there that he met his wife, Norma (Beach). They were engaged while he finished a Masters in Teaching at Yale University, graduating May 1957. They were married the following month, and for the following school year, George worked as a science teacher at Woodrow Wilson High School in Washington DC, not far from where Norma's parents lived and where Norma had a job in a laboratory. Deciding that high school teaching was not his calling, George and Norma moved to Denver Colorado where George earned a PhD in Physiology from the University of Colorado School of Medicine 1962. The following year they moved to Copenhagen, Denmark where George did his post-doctoral research. Afterwards, he was a post-doctoral fellow at Columbia University Medical School in New York City for three years. In 1966 he got a job as an associate professor of physiology at the University of Vermont and began a long career in basic research. His specialty was ion transport across the cell membrane, especially the sodium-potassium pump. He was the co-author of many scientific articles and a book called "The K Factor" which proposed changes in diet and lifestyle to control high blood pressure without using medications. He was also an environmental activist, serving on the Vermont Sierra Club's Executive Committee as well as volunteering for various population control organizations. He believed that the most important thing was to preserve a healthy and happy environment for future generations. He enjoyed biking, hiking, kayaking, swimming, playing racquetball or squash with his friends, camping with his family, and attending classical music and jazz concerts. George will be remembered by many as an excellent lecturer and a compassionate friend. He was a man of integrity who always stood by his convictions.

George is survived by his two sisters, Patty Conger and Julie Peralez, plus his three children, Gordon Webb, Valerie Suwanseree, and Forrest Webb. He also had four nieces, two nephews, and three grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife Norma, who died in June 2018, also at age 84.

There will be a Memorial Service June 13, 2019 at 4:00 pm at the Ready Funeral Home South Chapel 261 Shelburne Rd, Burlington VT. Please visit www.readyfuneral.com to place online condolences.