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Richard John Guillory ’53

September 6, 2022, in Hillsboro, Oregon.

Born in San Diego, Richard spent his childhood in Brooklyn, New York, and Hillsboro, Oregon. At Reed, he wrote his thesis, “The Enzymatic Transpeptidation Reaction Involving Glutathione,” advised by Prof. Alan MacEwan [biology 1951–55]. “Reed had a decisive influence in directing my attitude about work and my philosophy of life,” Richard said. “It was a powerful influence on me as a person.”

After graduating from Reed, Richard served in the United States Army as a member of the nutrition team sent to Taiwan to study and improve the diet of troops. Returning to academia, he earned his PhD in physiological chemistry from UCLA. Richard loved learning and discovery, and taught, researched, and published in the biochemical sciences around the world, including at the University of Amsterdam, University of Arizona, Cornell University, Konstanz University (Germany), National Yang Ming University (Taiwan), Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, and the University of London. He taught biochemistry/biophysics at the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii.

Richard’s passion for scientific discovery was matched by his passion for history, and his expansive library spanned history from ancient Roman and Etruscan civilizations to the founding of the United States. He served in numerous service organizations, including the American Heart Association, the Knights of Columbus, and the Lions Club.

He spoke fondly of the community at Reed and the intellectual rigor of the curriculum, which encouraged his daughter, Cynthia, to attend. After retiring from the University of Hawaii, he and his wife, Stella, moved back to the Portland metro area and supported Reed, attending events and lectures. Stella survives him, as do his daughters Amber, Cynthia  Muir ’80, and Olivia; his sister, Rosalee; and his brother, Ronald.

Appeared in Reed magazine: March 2023

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