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Obituary: Robert K. Boeckman,
Jr., 77, Watson
Published: September 07, 2021
By: Provided by Sundquist
Funeral Home
Robert K. Boeckman, Jr.
 WATSON - September 5,
2021: Today, Robert K. Boeckman Jr. lost his
15-year battle with NASH, the non-alcoholic liver disease, which eventually
led to renal failure. Bob is survived by his wife of 45 years, Mary Delton,
his father-in-law Philip Delton, his brother-in-law James Delton, nephew
Andrew Delton (Tess Robertson), niece Lindsey Delton of Phoenix; his
brother-in-law, Robert V. Burnikel, nephew
Christopher Burnikel of Pittsburgh, PA, nephew
David J. Burnikel (Amanda) of San Diego, CA and their son James. He was preceded in death by his
parents and his sister, Maribeth Burnikel.
Bob was born on August 26, 1944
in Pasadena, CA while his Dad was stationed there
during WWII. He grew up in Dayton,
OH and earned his BS degree
from Carnegie Institute of Technology. He went on to study chemistry with
James Hendrickson and Ernest Grunwald at Brandeis University.
After being awarded his PhD in 1970, he completed postdoctoral studies with
Gilbert Stork. In 1972 he began his academic career at Wayne State
University, and in
1980 was recruited by the University
of Rochester as a
full professor. Bob coauthored, with his students and postdoctoral
associates, about 150 research papers, and book chapters, principally in the area of synthetic organic chemistry. He served as
chair of the department from 2003-2013 before retiring from the University
in July, 2019 with Emeritus status as the Marshall
D. Gates, Jr. Professor of Chemistry. He remained active in his discipline,
still working on a medicinal chemistry research project of bisphosphonates
and bisphosphonate drug conjugates at the time of his death.
Bob met his wife
Mary Delton in at a chemistry conference in Kingston, Jamaica
in January 1976. They were married
the following June. They shared a love of science, horses, cats, and
nature. They moved to the Adirondacks upon Bob’s retirement. Bob has
bequeathed an endowed Professorship to the Chemistry Department of the University of Rochester in his name.
In addition to
Bob’s chemistry endeavors, he was a long-term supporter and the recent
President of Pet Pride of New York, Inc., a no-kill, cats only, sanctuary
and adoption center. During his tenure, the organization blossomed,
adopting over 200 cats and kittens in 2020.
In lieu of
flowers, donations can be made in Bob’s name to Pet Pride of New York on
their website: https://www.petprideny.org
or mailed to PO Box 338,
Mendon, NY
14506.
In 2019 the
Department of Chemistry hosted a seminar with invited speakers, his former
students, and colleagues to honor Bob’s extraordinary contributions to the University of Rochester. Students and
colleagues are asked to remember your time with Bob at this retirement
ceremony. A private funeral service will be held at Petries Corners Cemetery
in Watson,
NY.
Bob was an
inaugural Fellow in the American Chemical Society and was also a Fellow of
the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He served as an
Associate Editor of the Journal of Organic Chemistry from 1997 until
2016. Among Bob’s academic honors are an A.P. Sloan Fellowship, a Research
Career Development Award from the National Institutes of Health, and an ACS Cope Scholar Award. He was a Fellow of the
Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science, and
was twice awarded the Alexander Von Humboldt Stiftung Research Prize for
Senior Scientists. He was named a Marshall Gates Scholar by the University of Rochester, receiving the William H.
Riker University Award for graduate teaching in 2009.
On-line
condolences of sympathy may be made to: www.sundquistfh.com
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