Name: Visitation for Dr. James Robert Durig
Start: 2020-01-11T15:00:00.000Z
End: 2020-01-11T16:00:00.000Z
Location: Dunbar Funeral Home - Devine

Dr. James Robert Durig COLUMBIA Dr. James Robert Durig, 84, passed away on Tuesday, January 7, 2020. Funeral services will be held 11:00 am Saturday, January 11, 2020 at Dunbar Funeral Home, Devine Street Chapel with burial to follow at Elmwood Cemetery. A gathering of family and friends will be one hour prior to the service at the funeral home and immediately following the graveside service in the chapel at Elmwood Cemetery. Dr. Durig was born April 30, 1935 in the Buffalo Township of Washington County, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Claysville High School in 1953. After working with the B&O Railroad for a year, he entered Washington and Jefferson College. He graduated in 1958, Magna Cum Laude and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He was awarded the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship to earn his doctorate in physical chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of South Carolina where he was a professor from 1962 to 1993 and Dean of the College of Science and Mathematics from 1973 to 1993. He is an Emeritus Professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City where he was Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences from 1993-2000 and a professor from 1993-2016. Dr. Durig was one of the most distinguished chemists in the global scientific community. In his 48 years of teaching, he has supervised more than 100 doctoral students and authored over 1,000 academic refereed journal articles about vibrational and rotational spectroscopy. Dr. Durig also participated in conferences and gave lectures on his scientific expertise all over the world. He is predeceased by his mother, Roberta Durig; his wife of 60 years, Marlene Sprowls Durig; and brother Bruce Mounts. Survivors include his brothers, Melvin Mounts of Green Valley, AZ and Earl Mounts of Pittsburgh, PA; his children, Douglas Durig of Sewanee, TN, Bryan Durig (Marla) of Columbia and Stacey Hamm (Kurt) of Columbia; and grandchildren, Nicole Durig Quinlan (Rick), Mallory Durig, Delaney Durig, Meagan Durig, Kathryn Hamm, Jamie Hamm, and Laura Hamm. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Foundation; or to the charity of one's choice. Please sign the online guestbook at www.dunbarfunerals.com. Memories may be shared at www.dunbarfunerals.com

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Published by The State on Jan. 9, 2020.

Memories and Condolences
for James Durig

7 Entries

Joanne mitchell

January 1, 2023

Dr. Durig was my Husband's Teaching Professor in Chemistry at USC for His Phd... Sorry to read about his passing ....

Linda West

January 14, 2020

In fond memory of James and Marlene Durig.

Linda West
UMKC Retiree Arts & Sciences

Richard Larsen

January 13, 2020

Douglas, Bryan and Stacy:

I am saddened to hear of the passing of your father, Dr. Durig. He was a great influence on my life and career as a chemist. I was honored to know him and work under him as a graduate student at USC. Please accept my condolences and I wish you, your spouses and children well.

Class of 1988

Ed Frierson

January 10, 2020

Doug, Brian, and Stacy, I was very sorry to hear this. Your Dad was a fine academic and a good Christian man. Me and my Dad always enjoyed talking to him and your whole family at Covenant. I will be praying for you and your families during this time.

January 10, 2020

I shared all of the years Dean Durig was at the UofSC and we overlapped for ten years as deans. I was privileged to know him well and both admired and respected his exceptional talents as a scholar and a leader. I also had the opportunity to visit him in Missouri and he was a most gracious old friend.We had close seats at USC basketball games and I observed him reviewing and editing some of his many papers at halftime. I doubt that we have had another who produced over 100 PhDs and over 1,000 refereed papers;and while serving 20 years as dean. A truly exceptional scholar and person.

David Waugh
Distinguished Professor and Dean of Engineering, emeritus

MARIAN MARTIN

January 10, 2020

May God Bless you and your family in this time of sorrow.

Melvin Mounts

January 9, 2020

I'm greatly saddened by the passing of my beloved older brother, Jim, who was such a great influence in my life. God bless and comfort his children and their families.
Brother Melvin Mounts

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