Robert Lewis Wollmann, physician, neuropathologist, teacher, traveler, gardener, and animal lover, died on Friday, January second, in Chicago, Illinois. He was born on August 30, 1941, in Jersey City, New Jersey, to Howard and Blanche (nee Brown) Wollmann. A younger sister, Nanne, predeceased him in death by several years. He is survived by one maternal and one paternal cousin, and by his spouse and companion of many years, Richard Sessions. His interest in science resulted in a B.A. in biological sciences from Rutgers University and combined MD/PhD degrees from the University of Chicago under the supervision of the Committee on Virology. He then spent a year as a post-doctoral fellow at the Max Planck Institut Für Virusforschung in Tübingen, Germany, continuing his investigations into virology. During the war in Viet Nam, in lieu of being drafted into the military, he received a two-year commission in the U.S. Public Health Service, during which he was assigned to the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission (ABCC) in Nagasaki, Japan. The purpose of his work at ABCC was to study the effect of radiation on human aging. However, in addition to his intense involvement in scientific matters, Robert also greatly enjoyed the fine arts; literature, music, painting—for a while he was an avid collector of late British academic painting. While vigorously denying any personal artistic ability, he contributed numerous pieces to a collection of hand-painted tiles, so artistically and cleverly designed that any aspiring artist would happily acknowledge ownership. His one regret, from an otherwise happy childhood, was that he never had the opportunity to take piano lessons. Robert’s seriousness in his scientific pursuits could not diminish his radiant joie de vivre—everyone who knew him was aware of his love for life and the world. Last, but far from least, as anyone ever invited to one of his dinners will attest, he appreciated good food and was himself an excellent cook.
Remembering Robert Lewis Wollmann, MD, PhD