Thomas E. Shellenberger

Thomas E. Shellenberger of Millersville, Maryland passed away in Glen Burnie, Maryland on March 28, 2011 from pneumonia. He was born May 3, 1932 to Leola and Clare L. Shellenberger, in Havre, Montana. He was educated at Montana State University, completing a B.S. and M.S. in chemistry and biochemistry. He earned a doctorate in biochemistry and nutrition at Kansas State University. He enjoyed barbershop choral singing and was a member of three award-winning choruses; Diamond State Chorus, Little Rock, Arkansas; Heart of America Chorus, Kansas City, Missouri; and Alexandria Harmonizers, Alexandria, Virginia. As a research biochemist, he pioneered some of the earliest work on the hazards of pesticides to fish and wildlife beginning in 1960 at Stanford Research Institute, Menlo Park, California and continuing in 1966 as one of the founding scientists of the Gulf South Research Institute in New Iberia, Louisiana. He played an important role in estrogen research ("the pill") at the FDA National Center for Toxicological Research in Arkansas in the '70s. He was among the first senior scientists recruited to establish the Center where he later served as Deputy Director. He was invited to speak on the hazards of pesticides by foreign governments and the World Health Organization. Following his years with the federal government, he performed contract research at Midwest Research Institute, Kansas City, Missouri, and Tegeris Laboratories, Laurel, Maryland. He was a member of the American Chemical Society and the Society of Toxicology, serving on a committee for water quality. He married Frances Chirgwin of Bozeman, Montana in 1953; they later divorced. Together they had three children, Robert E. (Bob) Shellenberger (Linda), of Grapevine, Texas; John M. (Deborah) Shellenberger of Batesville, Arkansas; and Diane Shellenberger Fadal (Anwar) of Clovis, California, who survive. Also surviving are six grandchildren, John Marc, Rachel and Michael Shellenberger of Batesville, Arkansas; Christie Shellenberger Wilkes (Ricky) of Jonesboro, Arkansas; Sophia Fadal and Amanda Fadal of Clovis, California; two great-grandchildren, Nathan Wilkes and Allison Claire Wilkes of Jonesboro, Arkansas, and a brother, Phil (Mary) Shellenberger of Nipomo, California; and 12 nieces and nephews. Services will be held on May 27, 2011 at Alta Mesa Cemetery in Palo Alto, California where he will be buried with his parents. The family has requested contributions if desired be sent to the Patuxent Wildlife Refuge, 10901 Scarlet Tanager Loop, Laurel, Md. 20708, where he was a volunteer, having been honored for 1000 volunteer hours before becoming ill in 2007.