Richard Charles Gueldner

Dr. Richard Charles Gueldner, 81, passed away April 10th in Charlotte, North Carolina, surrounded by his family. Dr. Gueldner grew up in the small farming town of Spring Valley, Wisconsin, where he graduated from high school, and paid for college by negotiating a loan with the local insurance salesman to fund his tuition. Dr. Gueldner received his Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 1957. He earned a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Iowa, Iowa City, in 1964. He did postdoctoral research at the University of Tennessee School of Pharmacy in Memphis where he assisted in the development of a drug used in treatment of high blood pressure. It was in Memphis where he met Sarah Hall, whom he married in 1967. He began his professional career as a chemist, working for G.D. Searle in Chicago and later worked with General Electric in Schenectady, New York. The majority of Dr. Gueldner's career consisted of his twenty-five years of work with the United States Department of Agriculture. Working first in Starkville, Mississippi, Dr. Gueldner and his colleagues conducted ground-breaking work that virtually eliminated the destructive economic impact of the boll weevil, which had exacted a devastating toll on cotton crops throughout the South. Then later in Tifton, Georgia and Athens, Georgia he performed research related to corn and tobacco crops. Over the years, Richard’s work generated several patents and dozens of research papers in peer-reviewed journals. After retiring from the USDA, Dr. Gueldner later returned to work in the pharmaceutical industry as an analytical chemist with Johnson and Johnson, in Athens, Georgia. Richard had a curious mind that served him well as scientist, but also as a father, husband, and friend. His zest for learning also served him as a world traveler, drawing Richard into lasting friendships all over the globe. An avid fisherman and amateur farmer, Richard enjoyed being outdoors and studying the natural world, but also appreciated music, art, and poetry, delighting in wordplay. He was a big fan of bad puns. Dr. Gueldner was preceded in death by his wife of 49 years, Dr. Sarah Hall Gueldner; his parents Clarence and Viola Gueldner; and brother Robert Gueldner. He is survived by his daughter, Cheryl Gueldner Asbury and son-in-law Dr. Stephen Todd Asbury of Pasadena, California; son Neil Richard Gueldner and daughter-in-law Karen Bennett Gueldner of Charlotte, North Carolina; sister Ruth Gueldner Pence and brother-in-law Dr. William Pence of White Lake, Wisconsin; sister-in-law Dale Hall of Corryton, Tennessee; several nieces and nephews. Family will receive friends from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 15th at Mynatt Funeral Home, 2829 Rennoc Road in Fountain City. The Rev. Scobie Branson will lead the funeral service at 1:00 p.m. at Mynatt. Interment will follow at Lynnhurst 2 Cemetery on Adair Drive. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the American Chemical Society, 1155 Sixteenth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036, USA, www.acs.org, 1-800-333-9511 or The University of Iowa Foundation, P.O. Box 4550, Iowa City, Iowa 52244, http://www.uifoundation.org/ways/, (800) 648-6973.