Richard Grant Powell

Richard G. Powell of Peoria, Illinois passed away quietly of natural causes on May 21, 2025 at the age of 86.

Richard Grant Powell was born October 29, 1938 to Glenn and Marcia (Mummey) Powell from Avon, Illinois. He graduated from Avon High School in 1956 and joined the Illinois National Guard. He served in several Guard and Army Reserve units over the following eight years, but was never called to active duty. In 1961 he obtained his Bachelor of Science Degree and in 1963 his Master of Science Education Degree both from Western Illinois University, Macomb. As a research chemist, he was employed with the U.S. Department of Agriculture at the National Center of Agriculture Utilization Research, Peoria Illinois from 1963 through 1994 and was involved in projects done in collaboration with the U.S. National Cancer Institute to discover anticancer agents isolated from plants. Homoharringtonine, a compound resulting from this collaboration, was characterized for the first time in Peoria and repPowell was honored at the annual American Society of Pharmacognosy symposium as their keynote speaker, highlighting his important discovery.

In addition to his work on plant-derived anticancer agents. Powell was the associate editor for the monthly publication of the Journal of Natural Products from 1991 to 2013, with his late wife, Rosemary.

A husband, father and stepdad, Powell was preceded in death by his first wife Betty (Reimer) Powell, both of his sons, (Rodney and Glenn Powell), niece (Roberta O'Cain), a stepdaughter (Faye Sullivan) and second wife, (Rosemary (Holzinger) Powell. He is survived by 9 nieces and nephews, (Peggy Powell Drain, John Powell, Lyle Prosterman, Lueen Prosterman Mansfield, Karen Prosterman Delgadillo, Paula Powell Collins, Annette Prosterman, Robert Powell, and Keith Prosterman), granddaughter, (Erica Sky Huckabee) two stepchildren (Jackie Luebcke and Mark Sullivan) and all of their respective children.