Bader

Suspenderman: A week before he died, Morris attended the Friends of Reeves Library-sponsored gathering of faculty and staff to acknowledge recent faculty publications.

Morris Bader, professor emeritus of chemistry and “one of the genuine academic eccentrics,” as an old friend called him, died unexpectedly April 21. He was 72.

Because his death occurred on the day before both the Jewish Sabbath and Passover, he was buried at Beth Avraham Agudath Achim Cemetery within 24 hours, according to Jewish custom. Jewish burials must occur within three days of death and are not permitted on the Sabbath or religious holidays.

His family will sponsor a memorial gathering at noon Sunday, July 17, at Foy Concert Hall. After remembrances and a reception, those who wish may stay for a mincha (afternoon service) at 2:30 p.m. and then attend a brief service at the cemetery.

A native New Yorker, Morris graduated from City College (now City University) of New York, then received his doctorate from Indiana University. He taught chemistry and computer science at Moravian from 1962 until his retirement in 1995.

His many gifts to the College included founding and supporting the SOAR program for studentfaculty summer research. He donated the profits from his computer manuals and software to what is now called Faculty Development and Research, to assist faculty travel to professional conferences. A champion chess player, he was founderadvisor of the Moravian College Chess Club. After his retirement, he and his wife established the Louis and Esther Bader Memorial Prize in Chemistry at the College, to which contributions are welcome.

Among his innovations, he developed a plant-growth hormone and held patents for a bicycle gearing system and a quartz infrared cell. He also was a scientific glassblower, making much of his own equipment. He published many scientific articles in the Journal of Chemical Education and American Laboratory, of which he was a contributing editor.

His many volunteer activities included teaching swimming to toddlers at the Third Street Alliance, Easton, and serving as scoutmaster in the Minsi Trails Council. He was a 21-year Musikfest volunteer and gave time to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg. A member of Congregation Beth Avraham, he was president of its board for 20 years, read Torah, and led services.

Survivors include his wife, Karen Roberts Bader, to whom he was married for 45 years; three sons, William, Bethlehem, Joel and his wife, Jennifer, Baltimore, Maryland, and David and his wife, Sara Gottlieb, Albuquerque, New Mexico; and a daughter, Debra, and her husband, Eric Eisenstein, of Ithaca, New York.