Obituary of Kenneth Kopple

Kenneth David Kopple, a retired peptide chemist, passed away at his home on June 30, 2013 from complications of lung cancer. He was 82 years old. Dr. Kopple was an instructor and assistant professor in chemistry at the University of Chicago from 1954 to 1962. He joined the research staff of the organic chemistry department of General Electric in Schenectady, NY in 1962. While at GE he received a Guggenheim Foundation Grant for on year of studies at the University of California at Berkeley. In 1965, he returned to Illinois to the Illinois Institute of Technology, (IIT) where he served until 1985 as research assistant, associate professor and professor in chemistry and chair of the department from 1970-1972. Dr. Kopple returned to private industry in 1985 as Director of BioPhysical and Physical Technologies at SmithKline & French Laboratories, now GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). During these years he received National Institute of Health grants for study in Italy and attended seminars in Japan. Ken retired from GSK on December 31, 2000. Ken was a friend of and founding participant in the American Peptide Symposium and the American Peptide Society having been a perennial councilor, treasurer and president as well as serving as co-chair of the Ninth Symposium. He is the co-author of several books on peptides and amino acids. While working in Chicago, he met his future wife, Frances Hopkins Kopple, who was director of program for the Family Service Bureau of United Charities of Chicago. They were married in 1960. Frances predeceased he husband in 2007. Ken enjoyed the outdoors, hiking in wilderness areas and documenting his travels with photographs. He enjoyed music, especially show tunes of the 20 and 30s and opera. He also enjoyed fine foods and fine wine. After he retired, he became a fine chef, applying his laboratory discipline to cooking, for the pleasure of family and friends. He was an active member of the Friends of the Wissahickon, spending many Saturdays moving rocks and plants. He graduated from Cheltenham High School in 1947 on of the top 40 winners in the Westinghouse Science Talent Search. He received his undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from MIT in 1951. He graduated as a member of Tau Beta Psi, the honorary engineering society. He completed doctoral studies, also at MIT, in chemistry in 1954. His Doctorate thesis concerned the development of a synthesis of penicillin. He is survived by his loving brother and sister-in-law, Dan P. and Janice MacVaugh Kopple and by his dear nieces. Funeral service and interment will be private. Memorial contributions may be sent to Planned Parenthood Federation, On-line Services Dept., 434 West 33rd Street, New York, NY 10001( www.plannedparenthood.org) or to Pennsylvania Ballet, Development Department, 1819 JFK Blvd., Suite 210, Philadelphia, PA 19103-1728 ( www.paballet.org)