Obituary of Gene F. Lata

Dr. Lata was born May 17, 1922 in New York City, New York, the son of Louis F. and Cesira (Greco) Lata. He developed an early passion for science and graduated from the City College of New York with a major in Chemistry. During World War II, he served in France in the US Army Medical Corps. After the war, he received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Illinois in Champaign where he met Lila Marie Bergman of Maywood, Illinois. They married on June 16, 1951. He was invited to join the faculty at the University of Iowa in 1950 and was a member of the Department of Biochemistry until 1992 when he retired as Professor Emeritus. In addition to his research, he was a dedicated teacher, counselor and mentor to his students. His active professional life included memberships in the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the American Chemical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Alpha Chi Sigma, Sigma XI and both the Iowa and New York Academies of Science. Gene was a member of St. Thomas More Catholic Church and served on the School Board of Regina High School. His patriotism and dedication to social and environmental issues was demonstrated in his commitment to the Iowa Democratic Party and the Sierra Club. After retirement, he continued to teach, volunteering as an Albanian translator and working with the Retired Senior Volunteer Partners in Reading program while continuing his involvement with University activities. He enjoyed photography, travel, the Iowa Hawkeye’s, and always loved a good meal. Above all, he was a loving husband, father and grandfather. He is survived by his children: Paul (Laurie) of Marinette, Wisconsin, Matthew (Phyllis Pancella) of Tallahassee, Florida; Tom of Columbia, Missouri, Catherine Manka (Roger) of Anchorage, Alaska, and Mary (Jerome Vogel) of Chadron, Nebraska. His grandchildren are Nathaniel, Dov, Louis, Tony, and Andy. He is also survived by a sister, Evangeline Lata of New York City and was preceded in death by his parents and his brother John. Memorial contributions or contributions in lieu of flowers may be sent to the Department of Biochemistry Fund for Undergraduate Scholarships, c/o the University of Iowa Foundation.