Herbert Blough, Ophthalmology

Herbert Allen Blough, a former Penn professor of ophthalmology, died on September 14 at the age of 86.

Dr. Blough was born in Philadelphia on December 18, 1929. He received a BS from Pennsylvania State University, an MD from Chicago Medical School and a PhD from Cambridge University in England. He married Racelle Miller in 1954 in Chicago.

Dr. Blough spent his career as a medical doctor and research scientist. He joined Penn as an assistant professor of microbiology in 1963 and became an associate professor of ophthalmology in 1970. He was appointed a postdoctoral fellowship from 1971-1972. He retired in 1992 and became professor emeritus in 1999. In addition to his work at Penn, he also worked with Nobel prize winner Luc Montagnier at Institute Pasteur in Paris, France, during the start of the AIDS epidemic. Dr. Blough devoted his life to helping others and finding a cure for AIDS and other infectious diseases.

Dr. Blough was named Outstanding Alumnus from Chicago Medical School, and he was the keynote speaker at the AIDS Conference at the Medical College in Florence, Italy in 1981. He was also an officer in the United States Navy with the rank of captain and served in the Gulf War.

Dr. Blough is survived by his wife, Racelle Blough; daughters, Linda Shuffman, C’79 and husband David, and Beth Blough, C’83, SW’84; his sons, Colin Blough and wife Kathy Barnes, and Lawrence Blough and wife Alison Moore; grandsons, Matthew Blough, Douglas Shuffman, Craig Blough and Noah Brown; granddaughters, Carey Shuffman, C’12 and Josephine Blough; brother-in-law, Barry Litwin and wife Barbara; and sister-in-law, Merrice Spielman.

Memorial donations in his memory may be made to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, http://www.nationalmssociety.org

To share a memory in the memorial guest book, visit www.RamseyFuneral.com

Ari Frosch, Penn Medical Student

Ari Frosch, a second-year medical student in Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine, died on September 22 in Newton, Massachusetts. He was 26 years old and had been home on a leave of absence from his medical studies.

Mr. Frosch earned his undergraduate degree from Colorado College in 2012. Before enrolling at Penn, he did post-baccalaureate work at Bryn Mawr and worked at the National Cancer Institute. He spoke fluent Spanish and had worked in Mexico and volunteered at Puentes de Salud (Bridges of Health), a nonprofit dedicated to improving the health of Philadelphia’s Latino community. He loved rock climbing and also volunteered for Habitat for Humanity.

Mr. Frosch was part of a Penn family: his brother, Zach, graduated from the Perelman School of Medicine in 2014 and their father,  James, earned his medical degree from Penn in 1976.

Robert P. Kuniewicz, Biology

Robert P. Kuniewicz, a resident of Haddonfield, New Jersey, died on June 20 at age 80.

Mr. Kuniewicz worked in Penn’s biology department for over 40 years. He received a BA from Penn in 1963.

After working as a research assistant and a teaching assistant during his time as a  Penn student, he joined full-time as a research specialist II in 1972. He became a coordinator/instructor for the biology laboratories in 1988. In 2002, he became administrative assistant in the biology academic office, a position he held until his retirement in 2013.

During his time at Penn, Mr. Kuniewicz developed many new lab modules and published four laboratory course manuals. He also edited the biology department’s alumni newsletter, organized the annual Symposium for Undergraduate Research in Biology and promoted biology and Penn to visiting high school students and parents.

Mr. Kuniewicz was the official scientific historian of the biology department and established the Edward Drinker Cope Society, an informal intellectual and social gathering of biology faculty named after a Penn paleontologist and featuring discussions and unique awards.

He is survived by his wife, Mary Jane, Nu’70  G’87; two daughters, Alexia Gottschalch, C’93 (Christian) and Tegan Crouch (Gantt); and five grandchildren, John Alexander Gottschalch, Philip James Gottschalch, Finley Augustin Crouch, Callie Crouch and Chesney Crouch.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Mr. Kuniewicz’s memory may be made to Penn at https://giving.apps.upenn.edu/giving/jsp/fast.do