Dr. John Robert Ohlfest 1977- 2013

OHLFEST, HIMMEL

Posted By: Connie Swearingen-Volunteer (email)
Date: 1/28/2013 at 10:49:25

Sioux City Journal
23 January 2013

SIOUX CITY | Dr. John Robert Ohlfest, 35, of Roseville, Minn., formerly of Sioux City and Lawton, Iowa, died Jan. 21, 2013 of Melanoma.

Services will be 11 a.m. Friday at Calvary Church, 2120 N. Lexington Ave., in Roseville. Visitation will be 9:30 a.m. until service time Friday at the church. Arrangements are under the direction of Holcomb-Henry-Boom-Purcell in St. Paul, Minn. Condolences may be sent online to www.holcombhenryboom.com.

John was born on Aug. 25, 1977, in Sioux City and grew up in Lawton, graduating high school in 1996. John attended Iowa State University, graduating with a B.S. in biology in 2001. He earned a Ph.D. in 2004 in molecular, cellular, developmental biology and genetics at the University of Minnesota. In 2005, he joined the faculty of the U of MN as a professor in the Departments of Neurosurgery and Pediatrics. Known for his endless ambition and creative thinking, John designed new treatments for human and canine brain cancers, employing more than 15 staff in his research lab and collaborating with numerous colleagues. John’s passion, influence and contributions to brain cancer research and treatment will be remembered and carried on by many.

John met his wife, Karen Himmel, while both were attending graduate school at the U of MN. They were married in 2008.

John was a devoted father, delighting in family time and fishing.

John is survived by his wife, Karen; daughter, Grace; son, Lucas; his parents, Doug and Carolyn Ohlfest of Sioux City; sister, Dr. Jennifer (Dr. Justin) Sands of Ankeny, Iowa; extended family; and his pit bull terrier, Tillie.

Memorials may be made to the family to support the children’s education.