William Joseph Lennarz

William (Bill) Joseph Lennarz, 87, Passed away on Wednesday, October 27, 2021 in Williamsburg, VA. He was born on September 28, 1934 in New York City. Bill was a respected biochemist at Stony Brook University and Medical Center with a lasting legacy in cell biology research. He began his academic career at Penn State University as a chemical engineering major but ultimately changed direction, graduating with a BS in Chemistry in 1956. He received his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Illinois in 1959. Subsequently, he carried out postdoctoral research on fatty acid biosynthesis at Harvard University with Nobel-prize winner Dr. Konrad Bloch. In 1962 Bill moved to Baltimore where he was appointed Assistant Professor in the Department of Physiological Chemistry at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He was later promoted to Associate Professor of Biochemistry in 1966 and Professor in 1971. The focus of Bill's work at Johns Hopkins was lipids and bacterial cell surfaces. Bill left Baltimore for Texas in 1983 where he was appointed Robert A. Welch Professor and Chairman of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Texas Cancer Center, M.D. Anderson Hospital in Houston, where he continued his research on lipids, cell surfaces, and cell-cell interactions. Newly elected to the National Academy of Sciences, in 1989 Bill joined the faculty of Stony Brook University as Chairman of the Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology and later became Chairman and Distinguished Professor. In 1990, he founded and became director of the Institute for Cell and Developmental Biology at Stony Brook University and Medical Center. During his 19 years at Stony Brook University and Medical Center, he reinvigorated the department, appointing over twelve outstanding new faculty and broadening its mission to include Cell Biology. Almost all of the scientists recruited by Bill remain at the university as senior faculty members and have helped cement the department's reputation as a center of excellence in teaching and research science. During this period, Bill also became Chief Editor of the Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications (BBRC) scientific journal. There, Bill initiated a period of leadership that strengthened the Journal, opening it to areas that had previously been neglected and extending its appeal and popularity to countries such as China which had been until then on the margins of science. Family, and friends, as well as the many colleagues and former students with whom Bill enjoyed warm and lasting connections, will fondly remember Bill's wonderful combination of head and heart, curiosity and caring. Whether discussing biochemistry with an esteemed colleague, local history with a fellow tourist, chatting with a neighboring table in a restaurant, or the latest news from school with one of his beloved grandchildren, Bill had a remarkable ability to connect with anyone and everyone on any subject. Bill is survived by his wife Sheila, three sons, Dr. Willam Lennarz, Matthew Lennarz (Kristin), and David Lennarz (Alison); stepdaughter Jennifer Lennarz, stepson Dr. Simon Dorton (Amanda); eleven grandchildren and two great grandchildren; and his sister, Patricia Ender (Bill). He is greatly missed by all. Contributions in lieu of flowers may be made in Bill's memory to: The William J. Lennarz Endowed Science Scholarship Fund at the Williamsburg Community Foundation,1323 Jamestown Road, Suite 103, Williamsburg, VA 23185 www.williamsburgcommunityfoundation.org Please visit www.bucktroutfuneralhome.net