John G. Verkade (1935-2016)

VERKADE, VAN LEEUWEN, BURN, BOWLBY, DE VRIES, TREXEL

Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 4/23/2016 at 10:40:08

Obituary From Adams Soderstrum Funeral Home, Story County, Iowa.

John G. Verkade, entered into God's presence April 6, 2016, following a 15-month illness. He was born of Dutch immigrant parents, Gerrit and Dirkje (Van Leeuwen) Verkade, in Chicago, Illinois on January 15, 1935. His primary education took place at the Roseland Christian School and his secondary education at Tilden Technical High School (both in Chicago) where he graduated in 1952 as Salutatorian of his class. John then entered the University of Illinois on a George M. Pullman Educational Foundation Scholarship where he graduated with High Honors with a B.S. in Chemistry in 1956.

After receiving an M.A. in Chemistry from Harvard University in 1957, he went back to the University of Illinois where he received a Monsanto Graduate Fellowship to work with Professor Standish Piper on his Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry which he received in 1960. He began his academic career the same year at Iowa State University as an Instructor of Chemistry. He subsequently rose through the academic ranks, becoming a full Professor in 1971 and University Professor in 1997.

During his 53-year career at Iowa State, he enjoyed doing research and teaching undergraduate as well as graduate courses. His collaborations with his coworkers (25 BS, 18 MS, 37 PhD and 60 Post Doctoral students) on a variety of research projects led to the publication of 5 books, 21 patents and 428 papers.

In his first year at ISU he published the first synthesis of a football-shaped organophosphorus compound which the fire retardant industry adopted as an effective starting material for producing a wide spectrum of commercial fire retardant formulations which are still used today. Since John’s initial publication, this compound has been available from over a dozen chemical manufacturers, and over 1500 publications have appeared on its chemistry.

In the early 1970’s, he invented a novel pedagogical tool for teaching a complex subject (namely, molecular orbitals) in a simple pictorial way to chemistry undergraduate and graduate students. He published several papers (some with ISU chemistry Professors Klaus Ruedenberg and Gordon Miller) on the method and he also wrote a book on the subject, the second edition of which is still available.

Toward the end of the 1980’s, his research interests shifted to the challenge of synthesizing a new football-shaped organophosphorus compound which turned out to be a powerful catalyst for a wide variety of important organic reactions. The building block molecules accessible via reactions promoted by his “superbases” (as they became known in the chemical community) are useful in the production of several types of useful pharmaceuticals which are products of organic syntheses usually comprised of several chemical “building block” steps. Although his patent on these compounds expired in 2008, over a dozen companies worldwide continue to sell his superbases.

In 2005 John and his Department colleague Professor George Kraus discovered that a 2% solution of a cheap calcium salt in anhydrous ammonia effectively kills a favorite illicit way of “cooking” meth from OTC cold medicines. This illicit method involves the use of liquid ammonia (obtained by theft from agricultural anhydrous ammonia tanks) as the solvent.

John was an active member of the American Chemical Society (ACS) and served in a number of capacities such as Chair of its Publications Committee, its Committee on Grants and Awards, its Chemical Abstracts Services Committee, and as Chair of the Editorial Board of “Chemical and Engineering News”, its house organ. He was also elected to membership of the ACS Board of Directors. He regularly called the ACS national council meetings to order with a trumpet call. Among the numerous awards he won during his career are an Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship, the Harry and Carol Mosher ACS Section Award, a BF Goodrich Collegiate Inventors Program Award, Election to the Tilden Technical High School Hall of Fame, Dept. of Chemistry/Ames National Laboratory Outstanding Mentor Award, Iowa State University Award for Outstanding Achievement in Research, Fellow of the American Chemical Society, Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Midwest ACS Award for Meritorious Contributions to Chemistry.

John was a member of the Trinity Christian Reformed Church in Ames, of which he was a founder in 1960 and in which he served for many years as Elder, council member, organist, pianist and trumpet player. He was also the founding member of the Tarnished Brass Quintet in the early 1980s. He was the first President of the Central Iowa Symphony of which he was a member of the trumpet section for more than 20 years. He also played trumpet in the Ames Municipal Band for 35 years. His favorite hobbies included home schooling two of his grandchildren in general science and in chemistry, making music, and exploring the intersection of religion and science.

He is survived by his wife, Charlene (Nunnikhoven); children, Elaine Burn, Geoffrey (Robin) Verkade and Cyndi Bowlby; grandchildren, Craig De Vries, Kaylen Bowlby, Tristan Verkade and Amelia Verkade; former wife, Mary (Betty) Verkade; and nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Susan Elizabeth (Trexel) Verkade; his brothers, Gerrit and Andrew; and one nephew.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts can be made to Trinity Christian Reformed Church or The George M. Pullman Educational Foundation.

Funeral Service
APR 14. 03:00 PM
Trinity Christian Reformed Church
3626 Ontario Street
Ames, IA, US, 50014

http://www.adamssoderstrum.com/
 

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