Dr. Bert N. La Du Jr.

I was on vacation at the time of Bert's passing and only today learned of it. Bert was a revered and admired collegue. He was not only a great scientist but also a wonderful human being. The civility in the PON community may be largely attributed to Bert's influence. We will miss him greatly.

I was privileged to meet Dr. La Bu, albeit briefly, at his paraoxonase conference this past April. His seminal work in the field provided me with ample freedom in which to become acquainted with research. His legacy will live on in each of the students he generously inspired.

It was with deep sadness that I heard of the passing of Dr. La Du. Although I have never had the pleasure of working with him, I shall always remember his kindness, generosity and humour when discussing results and hypothesis (no matter how outlandish) at Ann Arbor Meeting. There are not many "PON-ologists" and to have so eminent a colleague leave our ranks, is a tragic loss indeed.

Although I met Bert only once I was really taken and influenced by his personality. I have never seen someone with such high scientific standing who is so modest and generous. I think that his personality was imprinted in the PON field. As a newcomer to this area of research, I was amazed to see that people can be critical yet in at the same time very positive, supportive and open minded. Sharing ideas and reagents with almost no reservations was also unique. I have not experienced anything...

Tim and I were saddened to hear of Bert's passing. He made a huge impact in our lives as graduate students and will surely be missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time.

Marilyn and I are both saddened by the loss of a dear friend and colleague. Family, friends, and science were his life, and he was good at all of them. He will best be remembered by the manner in which he lived. We will miss him.

May his soul rest in peace and give us the guiding light for continuing his efforts on understanding paraoxonases.

Dear Catherine and La Du Family,

It is with a very heavy heart and yet warm memories that I send this note from Connie and me. As you know, Bert was a very special friend and colleague. I still can’t believe the quantity of great science Bert and his crew turned out, long after most people would have retired. While we both worked hard on the hunt for the paraoxonase 1 gene, after we found it, we took different but complementary paths to understanding its many functions. Bert...

We were glad to know Bert