John M. Franz
John M. Franz of Columbia died Tuesday, March 8, 2011, at The Bluffs. He was 83.
Mr. Franz was born May 23, 1927, in Oak Park, Ill., to Jack and Lucy Franz.
Mr. Franz married Janice Howard on Aug. 18, 1951, in Wood River, Ill. The two were married for almost 60 years, and she took good care of him in his later years.
He served in the Army of Occupation in Italy after World War II.
In 1950, he graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in chemistry. He later earned his master's degree and doctorate in biochemistry from the University of Iowa in 1955.
Mr. Franz joined the biochemistry department faculty at the MU School of Medicine that same year. He taught at MU until 1993.
Mr. Franz's research interest was the hormonal control of metabolism. He was also a wine connoisseur for more than 50 years.
"He had quite a bit of expertise in being able to taste wines and evaluate the quality of wines," said William Folk, a professor of biochemistry at MU, who worked with Mr. Franz.
Folk said that while wine tasting was a hobby for Mr. Franz, teaching was his true passion.
"That was on the side — his real love was doing biochemistry and teaching," said Folk.
Mr. Franz is survived by his wife, Janice Howard; one sister, Mary Lotts of Los Alamitos, Calif.; four children, Kristine Dashiell and husband, Hap, of Smithfield, Va., Jack Franz and wife, Gina, of Bellbrook, Ohio, Kathleen Quinn of Columbia and Janice Rike and husband, Michael, of Chicago; six grandchildren, Caitlinand Kerry Franz-Quinn, Tucker Dashiell, and Jessica, Jaclyn and Jaimie Franz; and many nieces and nephews.
His parents and a brother, Jerome, died earlier.
Visitation will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday at Memorial Funeral Home, 1217 Business Loop 70 W. A prayer service will be held at 6:30 p.m.
Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Saturday at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, 903 Bernadette Drive. Burial will be at Memorial Park Cemetery, 1217 Business Loop 70 W.
The family wishes to thank the staff at The Bluffs for caring for Mr. Franz for the past eight months.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to Columbia Catholic School, 817 Bernadette Drive, or the MU Concert Series. The donor may also choose a different charity.
Tributes can be posted at memorialfuneralhomeandcemetery.com.
