In Memory Of…
We fill this page with memories of ACS-NH members recently passed. We appreciate all of their commitment and work towards making the ACS-NH section what it is today.
Dr. Gerald (Jerry) Putterman
An ACS member for over 60 years, Jerry passed away on Sunday, March 27th, 2022 at Yale-New Haven Hospital. Born in Norwalk on July 2, 1937, Jerry was the son of the late Irving and Ida (Gerson) Putterman. Devoted husband of 55 years to Miriam (Freiberg) Putterman, beloved father of Hallie Putterman and Joshua Putterman. Dear brother of the late Elaine "Lolly" Blotcher. Cherished grandfather of Grace Putterman.
Jerry Putterman had been a member of the New Haven Local section since 1960, when he was a graduate student in biochemistry at Yale. He returned to the New Haven Local section in 1982. He was active in many different roles, including as Councilor, Alternate Councilor, Chairman of the Nominating Committee, member of the Selection Committee for the Kirkwood Award, Co-Chairman of the Awards Committee for NERM 2013 and judge and organizer for the Section’s award at the New Haven Science Fair. Jerry resigned from his councilor position in 2021 after 60 years of service to the ACS. We showed our appreciation of Jerry’s many years of service to the section by awarding him with the ACS Outreach Volunteer of the Year Award in 2021.
From Ana Newton, past Chair of the ACS New Haven Local Section:
“Jerry had been an ACS member for over 60 years. He graduated at Yale University where he started attending ACS meetings in Sterling Chemistry lab. He then moved for a brief period to Chicago and Washington, DC, and returned later on to New Haven. I am eternally grateful for his guidance and time dedicated here where he served as Alternate Councilor (2005-2010) and Councilor (1994-2000; 2011-2020).”
Reflections from Gerald Putterman, Councilor (from January 2021 Member Spotlight here):
“Before my last board meeting as an officer of the New Haven Section of ACS, I wanted to share some memories and thoughts with the Executive Board of ACS. I joined ACS and the New Haven Section as a first-year biochemistry (yes, before the merger) graduate student in 1960. This was not my first contact with ACS. As a college sophomore and junior, I spent my summers working in the Sales Lab of Perkin-Elmer in Norwalk, CT. There I operated the new model 21 infrared spectrophotomer, running samples submitted by potential buyers and demonstrating the use of the instrument to people who had bought the instrument or were thinking about purchasing it. At that time the company was so small that one day the director of advertising came in with a photographer and asked me to pose in front of the instrument. I got a great kick out of seeing my picture in Science and Scientific American that year. After two summers of service PE rewarded me by sending me to the ACS National Meeting held in New York City. I certainly enjoyed seeing some of my graduate student instructors who had come up from Baltimore and wore student registration badges while I sported the badge of a general registrant.
While at Yale as a graduate student, I attended many ACS Section Meetings which were held late afternoon in Sterling Chemistry Lab. In those years, meetings were attended by a large number of Yale faculty. After graduation, I moved to the Chicago area, where I attended meetings of the Chicago Section. The section was so large that not only was there a main speaker but there were also smaller interest group meetings with featured speakers prior to the main dinner meeting. I chaired one of those group meetings, but my only recollection of it was the tornado that hit west of the city while the meeting was occurring. A few years later I was living and working in the suburbs of Washington, DC and attended meetings sponsored by the Chemical Society of Washington. Both the Chicago Section and the DC Section meetings were well attended, perhaps because local companies provided food and drink at the meetings.
I returned to the New Haven area and New Haven Section of ACS in 1982 and started going to Section Meetings. Attached is a listing of my years as an officer of the section, which I obtained some time ago from the business office at one of the National Meetings. Over the years I have seen enthusiasm for the New Haven Section surge and dissipate and surge again. One of the highlights occurred during the planning and running of NERM 2013. Thanks to Jeff Chin among others, our section obtained a nice surplus which I doubt that other sections will ever achieve; New Haven Section members did much of the work while current sections tend to hire consultants to make arrangements. Following NERM 2013, enthusiasm in the section started to dissipate but thanks to the current board I am happy to see a new surge of enthusiasm. Thus, I leave office gratified that the section is in good hands and I look forward to attending meetings either virtually or in person.”
Years of Service as a Section Officer:
Councilor, 1994-2000
Alternate Councilor, 2005-2007
Alternate Councilor, 2008-2010
Councilor, 2011-2011
Councilor, 2012-2020
Dr. Mary Myeck
A member of the ACS for 65 years, Dr. Mary Myeck passed away on Wednesday June 2, 2021 at Bishop Wicke Nursing Home in Shelton. She was born in Shelton, CT on Sunday, December 19, 1926, to the late John and Joanna (Dziuba) Mycek. She graduated from St. Michael's School in Derby and from Shelton High School in 1944 as class valedictorian. While in high school and college she worked part-time in Slipco and the B.F. Goodrich Rubber Products Company. In 1948, she received an Artium Baccalaureus Degree in Chemistry from Brown University and in 1955, a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Yale University. After spending two years as a postdoctoral fellow at Rockefeller University in New York City, she took a position at the New York State Psychiatric Institute of Columbia University in the laboratory of Dr. Heinrich Waelsch. It was there that she identified and named the enzyme, transglutaminase, and characterized the reaction it catalyzed. Transglutaminase is now recognized to be a family of enzymes that includes Factor XIII in blood coagulation. In 1961, she accepted a position in the Department of Pharmacology at the Seton Hall College of Medicine, which became the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey - New Jersey Medical School (Newark Campus). As of July 2013 it is a part of Rutgers University. She rose to the rank of Professor and, after retiring in 1991, continued in an adjunct capacity for thirteen years. Her research centered on the mechanism of tolerance to barbiturates in the brain. She was the mentor for 2 Ph.D. students. Professionally, Dr. Mycek authored many publications among them three editions of the widely used Lippincott review text, Pharmacology, which has been translated into many languages. She served on several study sections at the National Institutes of Health, and chaired the Committee on Pharmacological Sciences in 1980-82. She was the secretary of the Biochemical Pharmacology Discussion Group at the New York Academy of Sciences from 1961-71. In addition, she was an emeritus member of the honorary science fraternity, Sigma Xi, the American Chemical Society, the American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, chairing its Sub-committee on Women in Pharmacology, and the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences. In 1994, she was presented with the Outstanding Woman in Science Award from the Metropolitan Chapter of the American Women in Science in New York City. She was a member of The Yale Club of New York City, the Polish Institute of Arts & Sciences of America and the Kosciuszko Foundation. Among her other activities she particularly enjoyed her association with the Derby Historical Society, where she was a Life Member, serving on its Board of Directors and editing its Newsletter for 10 years. The Society honored her with its Dorothy Larson Award in 2004. Her interests in history led to a collaboration with Marion O'Keefe and Carolyn Ivanoff in writing a booklet about Ebenezer Bassett, a Derby man who was the first black man to serve as a United States ambassador. In 2010, the Ebenezer Bassett booklet received the Award of Merit from the Connecticut League of History Organizations. At various times Dr. Mycek volunteered in the cardiac rehabilitation unit of Griffin Hospital, in the Vertebrate Paleontology Section of the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale and Recording for the Blind in New Haven. Among her interests were travel especially to see her family in Poland, music, archaeology and genealogy. She took special delight in feeding the birds on her property. Dr. Mycek loved teaching and interacting with students. Over the years, she was fortunate to have had many dear friends and colleagues and is survived by a number of godchildren and many cousins both here and in Poland. A member of St. Michael's Parish in Derby, she belonged to its Ladies Guild and chaired the Jubilee Book Committee on the occasion of St. Michael's Centennial.
R. Clive Greenough
A longtime member of our section, Dr. R. Clive Greenough, 86, of Wallingford, passed away peacefully on Saturday, February 16, 2019 at the Regency House of Wallingford. He was the beloved husband of 54 years to the late Dorothy Cotton Greenough. Dr. Greenough was born in Medford, Massachusetts on June 1, 1932 and was the son of the late Walter and Pearl Clive Greenough. Father of Virginia Mautte. Father-in-law of Sid Mautte. Grandfather of Sidney IV, Francesca and Micah. Also survived by nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. Predeceased by his brother Wayne Greenough. He served his country faithfully in the US Army during the Korean War. Dr. Greenough obtained his bachelor's degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, his PhD from Caltech and was a Research Chemist for Rocketdyne, Warner- Lambert and Uniroyal. He held many patents. Dr. Greenough was a member of the American Chemical Society New Haven Chapter, the MIT alumni, the First Congregational Church of Wallingford and the Southington Congregational Church. He enjoyed bowling, reading, was a lover of puzzles, auditioned for Jeopardy and was a great supporter of the Wallingford Symphony.
David John Smudin
David John Smudin Sr. PhD., age 78 of Waterbury, passed away peacefully on October 25th 2018 at the Vitas Innovative Hospice Care Unit at Saint Mary’s Hospital after a long and courageous battle with cancer. He was the husband of Gloria (DeBalko) Smudin.
David was born in Hazelton, PA the son of the late John and Margaret (Deddy) Smudin. David married his high school sweetheart, Gloria, and was happily married for over 55 years. He attended Saint Joseph’s University, Rutgers University, and Yale University, ultimately receiving his PhD in chemistry. David and his family moved to Waterbury in 1974 and he began working for Uniroyal Chemical Co. Inc in 1976 where he was employed until his retirement in 2003.
David was the patriarch of his large family and enjoyed every minute spent doing family activities. He especially loved the annual family vacation to Hilton Head Island, SC. He was active in the Boy Scout Troop 3 while his children and grandchildren were members and was a devout Roman Catholic who could be found at Saints Peter and Paul’s Church every Sunday morning. David was also a classic car enthusiast and enjoyed listening to all types of music, especially the Sunday morning polkas, and played several instruments himself. David will be sadly missed by all who were blessed to know and love him.
