HAKALA - ZAKRZEWSKI - Marie T. Of Watertown, formerly of Buffalo, passed away Friday, January 16th at the Ives Hill Retirement Community where she was under the care of Hospice of Jefferson County and her family. She was 97 years old. Dr. Hakala was born February 15, 1917 in Helsinki, Finland. At the age of 15 she passed a summer school for laboratory technicians which secured her a job immediately after graduation. She continued her studies at the University of Helsinki, where she got a Master of Science degree in biochemistry under a Nobel Laureate, Professor AI. Virtanen. Through the years of war against the Soviet Union from 1939 to 1944, she worked at the pharmaceutical company Orion, and thereafter in the Biochemical Institute of the University of Helsinki. Her family's home was destroyed by the Soviet fire bombs in February 1944. She emigrated to the United States in September 1949. After a year at the Agricultural Experiment Station of Rutgers University she moved to Duke University, where she obtained a PhD in biochemistry. Following this she worked in the Department of Pharmacology at Yale University, where she met her future husband, Dr. Sigmund F. Zakrzewski (died March 4, 2005). In 1956 Dr. Hakala and her husband moved to Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, NY. Dr. Hakala immediately initiated a cell culture system that she found extremely fruitful in her basic studies on all aspects of cancer chemotherapy, such as reasons for the loss of response to certain drugs, and how to enhance the activity of specific anti-cancer agents. The latter effort led to the development of a successful treatment of colorectal cancer. In addition, Dr. Hakala's research established the experimental conditions that are needed for the transfer of genes. She guided the thesis work of several doctoral students and published close to 100 research papers before her retirement in 1987. After retirement Dr. Hakala joined the League of Women Voters in Buffalo and was a dedicated participant in its activities for 20 years. She was also an avid contributor to "Letters to the Editor," both to the Buffalo Evening News and to the Watertown Daily Times. After the death of her husband in 2005, Dr. Hakala moved to Watertown, NY to be closer to her only daughter, Dr. Kristina Harff. Survivors include her daughter, Kristina (Nina), son-in-law, Chris Ritcey and three grandchildren, all of Watertown, NY, and two sisters residing in Helsinki, Finland. A memorial will be held at Ives Hill Retirement Community, Watertown, on Sunday, January 18th from 2-4 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the League of Women Voters, Buffalo-Niagara Chapter 1272 Delaware Avenue Buffalo, NY 14209. Arrangements are with REED & BENOIT FUNERAL HOME, INC. Online condolences made at www.reedbenoit.com
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