Thomas Scharff

SCHARFF, THOMAS GEORGE, beloved father, grandfather, husband, and friend, died peacefully June 20, 2012 in Dayton, OH at age 89, his wife, Mona and daughter, Catherine at his side.

Tom began his 49 years in Louisville in 1956, arriving at the University of Louisville Medical School with his Ph.D from the University of Rochester, in New York. For nearly four decades he taught pharmacology to medical, dental and graduate students, who appreciated his warmth, expertise and commitment to their professional development. He conducted important fundamental research into the transport across cell membranes of various substances, including the active ingredient in aspirin. His work helped lay a foundation for important contributions to medical care. Honoring the quality of his research as a young professor, the American Heart Association awarded him its prestigious, five-year Established Investigatorship grant.

Born in Paterson, NJ on March 9, 1923 into a family of Swiss immigrants, Tom was a wild prankster in his youth. He enlisted in the Navy in 1942 and served in Panama and the North Pacific as a pharmacist's mate aboard the USS Trenton, a heavy cruiser. The Navy chose him for its prestigious "V-12" program to educate exceptional enlisted men considering careers in the Navy. He studied briefly at Princeton and Yale before settling in at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut.

In November 1945 he chose to muster out, however, with an honorable discharge. Thanks to the GI Bill, he was the first in his family to graduate from college, among the top students of his Trinity classes, Phi Beta Kappa, with bachelor's and master's degrees in chemistry. On September 14, 1946, Tom married Mona Evelyn Creer of Waterbury, CT, after a whirlwind courtship. The couple remained faithful to each other, celebrating their 65th anniversary in 2011.

Tom's great loves were people; science and the life of the mind; and, true to his peasant forebears, the land. He loved the backyards of his homes in Louisville, and his lots in Shelbyville, KY, where he planted large gardens of vegetables and corn, and "invited" his children, with the incentive of a nice restaurant meal on the way home, to help with the cultivation and harvest. A man of science and keen intellect, Tom throughout his life was a fierce advocate of education as essential to living a productive, spiritually rich and satisfying life. He imparted those values to all in his family, and was proud that all of his children became professionals, including a financial adviser (Tom), lawyer (Gary), business executive and insurance broker (David), nurse (Catherine), and engineer and physician (Robert). A lifelong Democrat committed to equal opportunity and fair treatment of all, including the poor and disadvantaged, he and Mona worked hard in the 1950s and 60s, at some risk, for racial desegregation in Louisville.

Tom retired from the U of L in 1985. Despite hip problems that limited his mobility, he spent as much time as he could with his five children and their spouses, and eventually 13 grandchildren. He loved traveling with Mona, especially to see extended family in Switzerland and to practice his German in the Rhine Valley. In 2005 the couple moved to Dayton, the home of their dear daughter, Catherine.

Most of all Tom was a wonderful presence among his family and friends, bringing affection, humor and personal support into the lives of many people over the years, from his professor colleagues and group of enduring, close friends; to janitorial staff at the university who found him always interested in their lives; to the many waitresses that he gently questioned as to the status of their pursuit of an education. His signature send-offs to loved ones were, "Ich liebe dich!" (German for "I love you") and "Enjoy your life!"

Tom is survived by his wife Mona; by his children and their spouses, sons, Tom (Missy), Gary (Barbara), David (Gizelle) and Robert (Judy); daughter, Catherine (Don); "adopted" former daughter-in-law, Trude Scharff; 13 grandchildren; and four greatgrandchildren.

A celebration of Tom's life will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, July 27, 2012 at the University Club on the campus of the University of Louisville. In lieu of flowers, please send donations and remembrances to Trinity College (www.trincoll.edu) or the Medical School of the University of Louisville (louisville.edu/medschool).