Gregory Beaucage

Gregory Beaucage was a great many things to a great many people. The scope would be impossible to cover, but what can we do but try? A scientist known around the world and a teacher loved by so many of his students. World traveler, aid worker, frequent player (and occasional winner) of Spades. A ferocious guardian of honesty and integrity and a perpetual advocate of patience and pacifism. A deeply devoted student of Plum Village Buddhism. Unshakable believer in the goodness of people. A vegan devoted to his health who never missed his daily 5-mile runs, especially when they took him somewhere beautiful. Reliable source of a dad joke, a nugget of wisdom, or a deep-dive Wikipedia article. Cross-country road trip companion. A perpetually inquisitive and observant adventurer drawn to sunsets and trails old and new. Lover of British murder mysteries. Frisbee golf evangelist. Always ready with the perfect song reference for every occasion. A versatile musician proficient in six instruments. Avid birder and rockhound. Inviter of guest speakers and arranger of chemical plant tours. Generous dispenser of life advice that was often as true as it was hard to digest. But to us, he was most of all a patient and thoughtful husband and our incomparable dad.

Gregory Beaucage was born May 2, 1958 in Springfield, Massachusetts, the son of Robert and Madeline (née Goding) Beaucage and younger brother of Ronald and Cheryl (Bushey). He grew up in Springfield and Portsmouth, Rhode Island and attended the University of Rhode Island for a BS in Zoology and Chemical Engineering, where he met his best friend/wife, Jean Holsinger. After college, he worked as a Patent Examiner in Washington, DC where he first studied polymer science at the University of Maryland under Jack Hoffmann. He continued his studies in polymers at UMass Amherst, making many lifelong friends and earning a PhD with Dick Stein. After a postdoc at Sandia National Laboratory in Albuquerque, New Mexico, during which his children Peter and Catherine were born, he and his young family moved to Cincinnati, Ohio where he was a Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Cincinnati and welcomed another daughter, Maria. He taught countless students thermodynamics and polymer science, mentored dozens of students to graduate degrees, published hundreds of papers, and developed a new theory for small angle scattering used by thousands around the world. He built relationships and led student exchange trips to Haramaya University in Ethiopia, where he installed solar powered development projects and more importantly, opened life changing cultural bridges. He loved to visit and hear of the lives and careers his students led around the country and the world. In recent years, he began the study and practice of Buddhism with the Being Peace sangha in Cincinnati which brought him many cherished friendships and tremendous peace.

Gregory passed away suddenly in the early morning hours of July 14th in Portsmouth. He is survived by his wife, Jean, and children Peter, Catherine, and Maria. He is preceded in death by his father Robert, mother Madeline, brother Ron, and sister, Cheryl Bushey.

A celebration of life will be held in Cincinnati on September 6th, 2025; a celebration for Rhode Island friends and family will be held in Portsmouth in December.

In lieu of flowers, Greg would appreciate actions honoring his commitment to peace, human rights, and social justice, generally making the world a better place.