Obituary of Gunther Kuron

Gunther Walter Kuron, 82, passed away Saturday, March 22nd. Born in Stuttgart, Germany to Walter and Margaret Kuron, he also resided in Milltown before moving to Freehold 40 years ago. He served in the U.S. Army as an instructor of meteorology, stationed at Fort Sill, OK. He married his wife of 56 years, Helen Grinley, in 1951 and raised his family while both working and pursuing higher education full time. He was also an accomplished pianist and played in several jazz combos in his younger years. He received his B.S. in Chemistry from Rutgers University, Master of Public Health from Columbia University, and his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Columbia University. He was a member of Rutgers University College Honors, Sigma Xi, and New York Academy of Science. He was employed by Merck & Company, Rahway, for 39 years, retiring in 1987 as Senior Research Fellow. He published numerous articles in the field of atherosclerosis. He was a co-developer of Cholestryramine, Mevacor and Zocor, and the holder of several use-patents on cholesterol-lowering drugs. He was a volunteer in the VITA tax program at the Manalapan Library for ten years, the last seven of which he was site coordinator. He is survived by his wife, Helen; daughter, Helen, and son, Gary; sister, Alwine; grandchildren August and Lindsay Kuron, Vermont, and Phillip Wentz, North Carolina; and many beloved nieces and nephews. A gathering of friends will be held at the Clayton & McGirr Funeral Home, 100 Elton-Adelphia Road, Freehold Twp. on Saturday, March 29, 2008, from 2:00 to 3:00 PM. Friends and relatives are invited to attend his Memorial Service at 3:00 PM at the funeral home. Interment private. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Gunther's name may be made to Habitat for Humanity, P. O. Box 62, Freehold, NJ 07728. For information, directions or condolence messages to the family, visit www.claytonfuneralhome.com.