Andre Rosowsky

Andre Rosowsky died on May 8 in his 90th year. He was born in 1936 in Lille, France, and spent the first six years of his life in Paris until, in 1942, the occupying Germans instigated a massive campaign against Parisian Jews. Andre’s parents were given one night’s advance warning of their imminent arrest, and arranged for their only child to go into hiding with non-Jewish friends. Although his parents and many other members of his family were killed in Auschwitz, Andre survived the war and emigrated to the United States to be raised by an aunt and uncle in California. He studied chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley, earned his PhD at the University of Rochester, and completed his post-doctoral studies at Harvard. In 1962, Andre married Erlene, and they had three children—David Rosowsky, Lisa Rosowsky, and Jessica (Rosowsky) Smith. Andre spent an impressive forty-seven years as a pharmaceutical and medicinal research chemist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, producing more than 300 publications and holding 18 patents. Brilliant and humble, with a dry wit, he devoted the latter years of his career mentoring younger scientists in grant-writing, and spent many hours after retirement keeping up with the latest developments in medicinal chemistry. In addition to his loving wife and children, Andre leaves his adored grandchildren: Madeleine, Sophie, Sam, Melissa, April, and Leo. A funeral service will be held at 10:30 am on Tuesday May 13 at Temple Reyim, 1860 Washington Street, Auburndale, Massachusetts (with private burial to follow). The family will receive visitors for shiva from 4:00–7:00 pm on May 13 and 14 at his late residence. Online remembrances may be left at Legacy.com. Donations in Andre’s memory may be made to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute or to Yad Vashem.