Arthur Leslie Karr

Art Karr passed away at MU Health, Columbia, Missouri. His loving wife and cousin with her husband had been with him all day and just left. He died from complications of throat and liver masses, and kidney failure. We miss him terribly.
Art throughout his life aimed for perfection tempered with a wonderfully wicked sense of humor. He was the apple of his mom's eye and knowing she liked chicken legs brought her the whole leg complete with claws! He grew up in McMechen, West Virginia, the only child of Florence and Arthur Karr. Art excelled in football, played trumpet marching in McMechen parades and was a valedictorian in high school.
Art attended Bethany College, majoring in Chemistry. He was a graduate of the Bethany College Honors Program of less than ten students, graduating Magna Cum Laude in 1964. He dabbled in acting his first semester where he met a fellow thespian Larry Grimes. They joined the Beta Gamma Chapter of the Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity, which was in a beautiful old mansion. They were roommates and have been close friends ever since. Art's parents adopted Larry as Art's brother, picking them and their laundry up each weekend for home cooking and washing their clothes!!! One of those semesters he lost his typewriter only to have his mom find it in the covers of his unmade bed when she collected his and Larry's laundry so she could wash it!
Art obtained his Ph.D. in Chemistry under Dr. Peter Albersheim from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1968. In May 1965 he married Dale Bulfinch. Rekindled time for R&R playing interdepartmental football, and skiing, hiking and camping with his wife, dog Tramp and kitty Clem.
Art's postdoctoral research took them to Michigan State for a one and a half years working with Dr. Derek Lamport at the Plant Pathology Project of the Atomic Energy Commission. Art with wife and pets with their canoe loaded to its gunnels camped and fished with close friends in northern Michigan with many a good tale and laughs!!! He also loved photography with all its formats, lenses and filters!! Then it was west to Bozeman, Montana for four years in Dr. Gary Strobel's lab. Art's publications included papers on plant cell wall protein and the initial structure of a fungal toxin closely related to the causal agent of southern corn blight. Art accepted a position as assistant professor in Plant Pathology at the University of Missouri summer of 74. He loved both teaching and research working on many joint agricultural projects with colleagues from a wide range of departments. He, his wife, Tramp and kitty Josie enjoyed canoeing and camping with MU friends. Within a year they bought acreage near Hallsville, its selling point was a bevy of quails along the fence row of cedars!!! This has been and is home.
Art is survived by his wife Dale Karr, their kitties Fawn, King, Obi-Wan,Smudge, his cousin Kathy Karr Mallow and family and his brother-in-law Chuck Bulfinch and his family. Remembrance donations on his behalf are suggested the Central Missouri Humane Society or The Northeast Central Food Bank.
Arrangements are under the direction of Parker-Millard Funeral Service & Crematory, 12 East Ash Street, Columbia, MO 65203 (573) 449-4153. Condolences may be left online for the family at www.parkermillard.com.