David John Hartshorne

1937 - 2025

David was born on August 14, 1937 in Handsworth, near Birmingham, England, son of Ada (Pountney) and William Leonard Hartshorne. He was raised in England with his brother Colin, excelling in academics early in life. He attended college at the University of Birmingham and earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry. David met Ingrid Reiss when he was a Ph.D. student in Birmingham. Ingrid worked in a lab down the hall where she had better lab equipment that David was always trying to steal.

After earning his Ph.D., David moved to San Francisco to work on his post-doctorate research at the University of California, San Francisco. While living in San Francisco, he reconnected with Ingrid and they married in 1964, starting a 61-year marriage to the love of his life.

David next moved to SUNY University in Brooklyn. While in New York, David and Ingrid's first daughter, Marcia, was born. David and family then moved back to England, where they lived for a year before returning to the States.

The family moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where David was a Professor at Carnegie Mellon University. Pittsburgh was home for many years; here David and Ingrid had three more children, Wendy, Jay and Michael. Early in his career, David received an award recognizing him as a top 100 young scientist.

In 1978, David accepted a position as a Professor in the Departments of Nutrition and Food Science and Biochemistry at the University of Arizona in Tucson. During his academic career, David was a prolific researcher and author. His focus in research was the understanding of the biological mechanisms of the cell, specifically in the function of myosin light chain kinase. He was the primary author of 220 publications, 12500 citations, and was mentor to dozens of Ph.D. students. David's research was continually funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for 43 years and was fundamental in the evolution of early cell research. He served as an advisor to the NIH board in Washington D.C.

David's sense of adventure and wanderlust, combined with his scientific expertise, took him to many conferences and sabbaticals in cities and countries throughout the world including Japan, Australia, Poland, Canada, Mexico, Russia, Germany, Denmark, Austria, Sweden, Belgium, Scotland, Hungary and Greece. In his spare time, David was an avid golfer and gardener.

David retired as a Professor Emeritus from the University of Arizona in 2013 and stayed in Tucson for the remainder of his life, spending time with his children and grandchildren. David passed on May 9th peacefully in his Tucson home with Ingrid and the children at his side. He is survived by his wife Ingrid, daughter Marcie, daughter Wendy (Anthony), son Jay, son Michael (Jeannette), and grandchildren Thomas, Christopher, Natalie, Alexander, Elyse, Ava, Juliet, Jillian and Colin. Memorial donations can be made to the Humane Society of Southern Arizona.