Dr. Peter Carey Nowell of White Horse Village in Newtown Square died of Alzheimer’s disease complications on Monday, December 26, 2016 at the age of 88. Brother to Foster Nowell Jr.; beloved father to Timothy (Janice), Karen King (Thomas), Kristin (Carolyn Jimenez), and Michael (Lauren de Moll); grandfather to seven and expectant great-grandfather to one, Peter was predeceased by his wife of 54 years Helen Walker Worst Nowell, his daughter Sharon, his sister Nancy and his brother Sam. Born February 28, 1928 in Philadelphia, Peter grew up in Rose Tree, Delaware County, PA. Having attended elementary school at The School in Rose Valley where his attitudes toward education and learning were formulated at an early stage, Peter graduated from Swarthmore High School in 1945 before earning a fast-tracked BA in biochemistry at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT. Peter obtained his M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 1952, trained in pathology at Presbyterian Hospital, spent two years at the U.S. Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory in San Francisco and returned to the University of Pennsylvania Medical School as an instructor, and later as a professor in the Department of Pathology. He served as Chairman of the Department from 1967-1973 and was the first director of the University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center, now known as the Abramson Cancer Center. Among the awards and citations Dr. Nowell accrued for his work can be counted the Lindback Distinguished Teaching Award, the Albert Lasker Clinical Medical Research Award, and The Benjamin Franklin Medal in Life Science. Last year an endowed chair was established in his name at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, The Peter C. Nowell, MD Professorship. Despite the accolades, to his family, friends, and colleagues, Peter was short on hubris and long on self-effacing humor. The teasing, humorous patter that became his signature was with him to the end. The world is poorer today for the loss of this remarkable student, scientist, mentor, teacher, husband, father, brother and friend. Internment will be private. Memorial Service to be announced at a later date. Contributions in Peter’s memory can be made to The School in Rose Valley, 20 School Lane, Rose Valley, PA 19063 and Elwyn, 111 Elwyn Road, Media, PA 19063. Services entrusted to Walter J. Meyers Funeral Home, PC.

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Published by The Daily Times from Dec. 28, 2016 to Jan. 1, 2017.

Memories and Condolences
for Peter Nowell

Sponsored by DelcoTimes.com.

25 Entries

Mark S Robbins

September 30, 2024

I first came in contact with Dr Peter Nowell in 1973 as a first year medical student at Penn. He was my pathology professor. Even now, 51 years later, as a retired hematologist/medical oncologist, a direct beneficiary of Dr Nowell´s seminal work on the Philadelphia Chromosome, I have a vivid remembrance of not only his brilliance but his kind, decent, and generous manner displayed towards those like myself who were just taking baby steps into the great field of medicine, the wonders of which, at the time, I could only imagine. Prayers to him and his family and heart felt acknowledgement of a life well lived impacting so many.

Mark S Robbins MD. C´73 M´77

Jonni Moore

December 23, 2023

Every day I walk the halls and the labs we shared. His name is still on some of the doors. He was truly a treasured mentor and dear friend. Wishing all his family moments of smiles and good memories

Janet Finan

December 22, 2023

The photo of his portrait pops up on the Photopix in my house every now and thenand I pause and Smile!

Kay Huebner

December 22, 2023

We miss Peter and will always remember him as a great and innovative pathologist, brilliant geneticist and warm and dear friend, we wish his family members and other friends a warm and fond remembrance on the anniversary of our loss of his presence. Kay and Carlo

Janet and Marty Finan

December 22, 2021

I had actually not remembered that it was this week, but, strangely, just yesterday made a contribution in Peter´s memory to the Abramson Cancer Center. A truly memorable soul.
Janet and Marty Finan

Kay Huebner

December 27, 2020

The this message arrived about remembering Peter, when I was once again missing his Christmas card, which we received faithfully for many years, Carlo Croce and I, and when we came to his Memorial event at Penn, we met so many old friends and colleagues. It was kind of heartbreaking because it reminded us of when we were young, newish scientists and Peter was pretty young too, and it was such an honor to meet him and then work with him and become friends with him.
Sorry for this run-on sentence but just thinking about the Memorial event took me back there and I was gushing about it. Penn had changed so much since we left years ago, that we had to ask directions several times to find the place and needed help finding our way back to our car afterward. We were a bit put out by that, that Penn had grown and prospered and became unrecognizable without us. But without Peter now too, so Peter survived leaving Penn and we will too. But what a spectacular group of scientists we rubbed shoulders with then! And Peter was among the most spectacular. We will always remember him so well and miss him and wish all his family members a Happy 2021, Kay Huebner and Carlo Croce

kay Huebner

December 22, 2019

Dear family and friends of Peter,
He is so lovingly remembered every time we are reminiscing with old friends (pretty often as we all become old friends and memories are burnished). Just a few days ago I was telling such old friends how I miss Peter's yearly Christmas card, even when his handwriting become a bit wobbly, we were so happy to be remembered by him and his family. I know it is a cliche to say that he was such a fine, fine person, but it is so and he will always be remembered, while we are around to do so. Warmest, fondest wishes to all his very lucky family members, Kay Huebner and Carlo Croce

February 2, 2017

Sorry for your loss my Thoth's and prayers are with you and your family at this time of need. Your father was a great man for just the short time that I got to know him. Rest In Peace Michael Nowell

Sawing outdoors at The School in Rose Valley

Michael Nowell

January 30, 2017

Assisting in Woodshop at The School in Rose Valley

Michael Nowell

January 30, 2017

Working with Student at The School in Rose Valley

Michael Nowell

January 30, 2017

Dr. Peter C. Nowell 2010

Michael Nowell

January 30, 2017

Peter C. Nowell at The School in Rose Valley

Michael Nowell

January 30, 2017

To the Extended School in Rose Valley Community,

It is with a full measure of sadness and sense of loss that I share the recent death of my father, Dr. Peter C. Nowell. While my practice has always been to keep my life outside of the school private, it was asked that I share a bit of the school's impact on my father and family and his efforts to support the school's longevity and spread its teachings.

My grandmother, Margaret Peg Nowell and my grandfather, Foster, found the school in 1931, two years into its experiment in education. They enrolled my father and his two brothers and the following year Peg took on the job of school secretary while Foster began to lend his engineering skills to the erection of the school's buildings. Within a dozen years, Grace Rotzel had pressed Peg into teaching the oldest group, a position she held for 18 years. My father and uncles were blessed with the teachings of the school's original Shop teacher, Mr. Rawson, and, while the manual tool skills of the program never quite took hold in him, Grace's science teachings and my father's reading of Paul Henry de Kruif's 1926 book Microbe Hunters at an early age provided the sparks of inspiration that he carried from his childhood into pursuing a career in the field of science.

My father also carried forward the approach to education that he had experienced as a child at The School in Rose Valley along with a deep dedication to education itself.
As an instructor, professor, Chairman of the Department of Pathology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and first Director of the University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center, now known as the Abramson Cancer Center, my father helped spearhead major curriculum changes in the way Penn educated medical students. He instituted the practice of first year students interacting directly with patients and did away with grades in the Medical School to name two in which he took particular pride. In recognition of his many contributions to medical education, the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine named a departmental teaching award in his honor.

My father served on medical school and university committees and councils as well as being advisor to numerous individuals throughout the institution, including chairmen, deans, the provost and the president. He was a member of the Board of Trustees of his alma mater, Wesleyan University, and chairman of their Education Committee, and he served on the boards of both Elwyn and The School in Rose Valley.

For those interested in the scope and particulars of my father's career in science, here is a good starting point:
http://pathology.med.upenn.edu/news/professor-peter-c-nowell-md-1928-2016
An internet search on his name will provide a host of other resources.

In his retirement, I was able to coax my father back into the woodshop to the same worktables where he had hammered and sawed as a child, this time to directly offer his support to children engaging in the educational practices he believed in so deeply.

The School in Rose Valley lost one of its champions on December 26, 2016. May my father's love for this school and its dynamic approach to learning inspire us to take up the banner in his absence.

Amanda K

January 12, 2017

My sincere condolences to your family and friends. I have GIST cancer and take imatinib which allows me to live a full and happy life. Thank you, Dr. Nowell, for your research and contributions to cancer research.

Erin

January 7, 2017

What a legacy. Untold numbers of lives saved and will continue to be saved because of something you did.

January 3, 2017

I am a physician who was diagnosed with CML this last year. Thanks to Dr. Nowell's work, I knew right away that I was fortunate enough to have a very treatable cancer. His legacy will live on as so many patients with CML continue to live. Thank you.

Carol Hagen

January 3, 2017

My son was diagnosed in January 2016 with CML. Thank you for saving his life. Your research will continue to save lives for years to come!

Carlo and Kay Croce and Huebner

January 3, 2017

January 3, 2017

We have only just now learned of Peter's death and send our condolences and warm sympathy to his family and dear friends. Like Janet Finan, who has also written her message, we knew Peter and Janet too, through our work in genetics with Peter and Janet and other colleagues at Penn.
Peter was one of the finest and most beloved of our colleagues at Penn and we rec'd our last Christmas note from his family just before Christmas. As Janet has said below, it was an honor to work with him and to know him and his dear wife. We are sad for his loss but know he would have been prepared to go. We loved him. Carlo Croce and Kay Huebner

Nallasivam Palanisamy

January 3, 2017

A great inspiration for me to enter into science and work on chromosome aberrations in genetic diseases including cancer. Philadelphia chromosome was reported in the year I was born (1960). It was in my maters degree program learned about the remarkable discovery within 4 years after the identification of correct number of human chromosomes as 46 in the pre-banding era. Dr. Nowell and Hungerford made a remarkable discovery which benefits thousands of patients suffering from chronic myeloid leukemia. History will remember Dr. Nowell forever as long as humans exits on this planet. Bravo Dr. Nowell.

Janet Finan

December 30, 2016

I had the honor and pleasure of working for and with Dr Nowell for 34 years. He was one of the very finest people I have ever known as a boss, mentor and true friend. I will miss one of the most important people in my life. My husband Marty joins me in extending sympathy to his family. His was truly a life well lived.

Daniel Sabath

December 29, 2016

I was greatly influenced by Dr Nowell's intelligence, generosity, and wonderful demeanor. It was an honor to have known him.

Jane Lee Kolasinski

December 29, 2016

Condolences to my cousins and families.
Peace be with you all

Jonni Moore

December 28, 2016

The world has lost a great man who touched the lives of many. Wishes for peace and comfort to The Nowell Family

Honore Santore-Strauser

December 28, 2016

I wanted to express my deepest sympathy in the passing of your father. I was lucky enough to work for him at the University of Pennsylvania. The world is a better place because of Dr. Nowell. I am truly gratefully to be able to say I worked for him.

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