John Victor Badding

John Victor Badding May 6 1962 - October 26, 2019 John Victor Badding, 57, of State College, Pennsylvania, died unexpectedly at his home on October 26, 2019. A memorial service was held on October 31, 2019, at Penn State's Pasquerilla Spiritual Center, State College, Pennsylvania. Friends and colleagues are invited to join the family for a Mass celebrating John's life on December 7, 2019, 11:00 AM, at Good Shepherd Catholic Church, 867 Grays Woods Boulevard, Port Matilda, PA 16870; a luncheon will follow at noon in the church hall. John was born May 6, 1962, in Buffalo, New York, to Victor and Nancy (Letson) Badding. John's father was a professor of chemistry at Manhattan College, and his mother was active in the field of social work in Peekskill, and Yorktown Heights, New York. He was raised in Cortlandt Manor, New York and attended Hendrick Hudson High School in Montrose, New York. John continued his education at Manhattan College, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry in 1984 and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1989. For over 28 years, John worked at the Pennsylvania State University, rising to the rank of Full Professor of Chemistry, Physics and Materials Sciences. Throughout his career, John received numerous accolades, the Penn State's Faculty Scholar Award, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation Fellowship, the National Science Foundation's National Young Investigator Award, and the Carnegie Postdoctoral Fellowship. John was passionate about graduate education and supporting young scientists. During his career, he served as the chair of the chemistry department's Graduate Admissions Committee, mentoring more than 40 graduate students and postdoctoral associates. John's interests included spending time with his family, hiking, and loving his five cats: Ashura, Tuffy, Roger, Puchy, and Ruffy. He was fascinated by the history of the Civil War, reading multiple books about Abraham Lincoln and General Sherman. John is survived by his wife, Mizue Badding of State College, Pennsylvania; children, Edward Daisuke Badding, currently a chemistry graduate student at MIT and Catherine Kyoko Badding, currently an undergraduate student pursuing chemistry at Cornell University; his loving parents, Victor George Badding, and mother, Nancy Clark Badding, of Cortlandt Manor, New York; brother Michael and his wife Margaret Badding of Thurston, New York. In memory of John, and in recognition of his passion for graduate education, donations can be sent to Penn State's Eberly College of Science, Office of Development and Alumni Relations, 430 Thomas Building, University Park, PA 16802 / Please note "Badding Fund." Gifts will be used to support graduate students in Penn State's Department of Chemistry.