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Frank R.N. Gurd, Ph.D., passed away on June 17, 2007, as a result of complications of Parkinson's Disease. Dr. Gurd was born in Montreal, Canada, on January 20, 1924. He attended Phillips Exeter Academy, and then McGill University, where he received First Class Honors in Biochemistry and won the Hiram Mills Gold Medal in Biology with a B.Sc. in 1945. He was awarded an M.Sc. in 1946 from McGill. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard in 1949 for work involving the fractionation of serum proteins and for determining the physical structure of LDL. Dr. Gurd was visiting professor at Washington University School of Medicine and taught at Cornell University Medical School, Indiana University School of Medicine at Indianapolis, and Indiana University Chemistry Department in Bloomington where he rose to the rank of IU Distinguished Professor. He retired from Indiana University as a Distinguished Emeritus Professor. In 1989 he moved to Albuquerque with his late wife, Ruth S. Gurd, M.D., who was also Emeritus Professor at Indiana University. Dr. Gurd published over 160 scientific papers and review articles. He was a member of American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and other scientific societies, served on research funding agency study sections, and served as a reviewer for a number of scientific journals. He was proud of his contributions as an Associate Editor of the Journal of Biological Chemistry. Throughout his academic career, Dr. Gurd emphasized the relationship of structure and function in plasma proteins, enzymes, myoglobin, and hemoglobin. Along with his late wife, Ruth S. Gurd, M.D., Dr. Frank Gurd taught many students in the chemistry and biochemistry department at Indiana University and at the Medical School (they were enormously proud of their active involvement in the Combined Degree Program). Many of Dr. Gurd's students have gone on to have outstanding careers in the field of medicine and science. Dr. Gurd was the son of Fraser Baillie Gurd, M.D., and Jessie Gibson Newman. Dr. Frank Gurd was preceded in death by his brother, Fraser Newman Gurd, M.D. His surviving sibling is Katherine Gurd Currie, who lives in Ottawa, Ontario. Frank Gurd is survived by his children: Fraser Baillie Gurd of Madison, WI; Kathleen Gurd Lamb of Boston, MA; Martha Helen Gurd of Albuquerque, NM; and Charles Baillie Gurd of Albuquerque, NM. In addition to being a first-class scientist and science educator, he and his late wife were very active in the music scene, both in Indiana and in Albuquerque. His knowledge of classical composers and their compositions was breathtaking. Both Frank Gurd and Ruth Gurd were active supporters of the arts, humanities and science. Frank Gurd had a dry wit, was enormously considerate to others and was a loving, father, grandfather, and husband. He was enormously proud of his four children, four grandchildren and other members of his immediate and extended family. He loved all of his family very much. Memorial Services will be held on Saturday, July 28, 2007 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Chad's Episcopal Church, 7171 Tennyson NE, Albuquerque (505.856.9200). Gifts in his memory are welcome at University of Utah, Department of Neurology - Parkinson's Research, 30 North 1900 East, #3R210, Salt Lake City, UT, 84132; Friends of Music, PO Box 37213, Albuquerque, NM 87176-7213; St. Chad's Episcopal Church, 7171 Tennyson NE, Albuquerque, NM 87122. Arrangements are under the care and direction of: Daniels Family Funeral Services 7601 Wyoming Blvd. NE 505-821-0010
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