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