Arnold E. Reif

1924 - 2018

Arnold E. Reif, a longtime Wellesley resident, died peacefully on June 14th, 2018, at the age of 93, in Newton, MA. He was active throughout his life as a cancer scientist, divinity scholar, piano player and sports enthusiast. Arnold was born in Vienna, Austria in 1924 and moved to England when he was 12. He received a B.S. from Cambridge Univ. and a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Carnegie Tech, in Pittsburgh. In 1956, Arnold joined the faculty of Tufts Medical School, and in 1973 became Research Professor of Pathology at B.U. Medical School. His most important scientific contributions were discovery of the first marker to distinguish T-cells from other white cells, and providing evidence that mammals have natural cells that guard against cancer. He was an early and active leader in publicizing the dangers of smoking. After retiring in 1989, he got a Masters at Harvard Divinity School and founded an interfaith study group. At 92, he published two books, one about the dangers of smoking and one about the Holocaust in Austria. Arnold loved to play the piano and the organ and participated in several amateur chamber music ensembles. He also loved games and sports, especially squash, canoeing, kayaking and skiing. He was an active member of the Boston Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club and founded the AMC Mountains and Music Committee. He was, in his words, a doer, not a looker. Arnold leaves his beloved wife of 38 years, Kathy; his son John and daughter-in-law Jane Anderson; his granddaughters Katie and Emily Reif, and several nieces and nephews. The family thanks the staff at The Falls, in Newton, and hospice teams at Good Shepherd and Compassionate Care for excellent care of Arnold, and family friends Peter Murphy and Peter Fortini for companionship and help. A memorial service in loving memory of Arnold will be held on Monday, July 16th at 2 pm, at the Falls at Cordingly Dam in Newton, MA.