Services will be held tomorrow in remembrance of Robert C. Dunbar, emeritus professor of chemistry, who died Oct. 31. He was 74.
Dunbar graduated from Harvard University in 1965 with a bachelor’s in chemistry and obtained his PhD in physical chemistry from Stanford University in 1970.
He began teaching at Case Western Reserve University in 1970 and remained on the faculty throughout the remainder of his professional career. He retired in 2012, becoming an emeritus professor.
Among Dunbar’s chief research interests was combining lasers with ion-trapping mass spectrometers. Throughout his career, Dunbar had more than 250 papers published.
He was recognized for his work with a Sloan Fellowship from 1973 to 1975, a CWRU Sigma Xi Research Award in 1977 and a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship from 1978 to 1979.
He was a member of the American Chemical Society, American Society for Mass Spectrometry, American Physical Society and the Inter-American Photochemical Society.
Away from his work, Dunbar’s hobbies included bicycle trips, playing piano, gardening and puzzles. He often traveled around the world to visit family.
He is survived by his wife, Mary, and two sons, Geoffrey and Bill.
Calling hours will be held today (Nov. 3) from 5 to 7 p.m. at Brown-Forward Funeral Home (17022 Chagrin Blvd., Shaker Heights). The funeral service will be tomorrow (Nov. 4) at 1 p.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church (2747 Fairmount Blvd., Cleveland Heights).