Roger L. McMacken, Jr.

On December 7, 2019, our lives changed forever as our beloved Roger McMacken left this earth. Words are simply inadequate to describe the loss we are feeling. We will forever carry Roger in our hearts and minds and feel his presence around us. Roger was born July 24, 1943 in Spokane, Washington to Roger and Ethel McMacken. He and his two younger brothers, Steven and Paul, were each only a year apart. Because of their close ages, and perhaps also because their father was in the Air Force, spending a lot of their childhood overseas, the three brothers were competitive about everything growing up, particularly about sports. Passionate about science from an early age, Roger received honors in high school science classes and obtained a BS in chemistry (as well as a lifelong allegiance for the Washington Huskies) from the University of Washington in 1965. He went on to pursue a PhD in biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin, where he met and later married Maria Vigo in 1968. He, Maria, and daughter Michelle - born in Madison, Wisconsin, the year before Roger finished his PhD - then moved to New Haven, Connecticut, followed by Gainesville, Florida, as Roger completed his first post-doctoral fellowship at Yale University and then the University of Florida. In 1974, Roger and Maria drove across the country with Michelle to settle in Menlo Park, California, where he pursued his second post-doctoral fellowship, with Nobel laureate Arthur Kornberg at Stanford University. Shortly thereafter, Roger and Maria welcomed their second daughter, Marisol. In 1977, the family made yet another cross-country move, this time back East to Baltimore, Maryland, as Roger was offered a prestigious faculty position in the Department of Biochemistry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health. Later that year, the family grew to five, with a third daughter, Melissa, born in Baltimore. Over the next decades at Hopkins, Roger conducted ground-breaking research on DNA replication, and from 1990 to 2008, he served as the E.V. McCollum Professor and Chairman of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. During his 42 years at Hopkins, Roger also trained and mentored a generation of new scientists who have gone on to leadership positions in academia, government, and industry. In 2018, to celebrate Roger's deep commitment to teaching and mentorship, his former PhD students honored him with an endowed scholarship fund in his name to support the work of future biochemistry graduate students. While helping raise three daughters and pursuing his scientific career, Roger also made the time to enjoy many hobbies. He discovered skiing in his early 40s and fell in love with the sport. He made up for lost time by taking the family on ski trips out West almost every year thereafter, always trying to get in the last possible run before the ski lifts closed (and sometimes jeopardizing his safety for the thrill of a fast, daredevil run). He also loved bodysurfing in strong waves and competing with his brothers and other family members to see who could pick the most wild huckleberries. Many summer evenings he could be found meticulously tending his vegetable garden or dahlia collection well after dark, so everyone could enjoy the fruits of his labor. Roger also had a special interest in nature and astronomy. He hiked in the woods daily, and planned special gatherings every few years with his brothers and their wives to appreciate the wonders of the universe. One of the most memorable was an August 2017 trip to Stanley, Idaho in the Sawtooth Mountains to witness that year's extraordinary total solar eclipse. Always a careful planner, Roger made sure to purchase special solar eclipse sunglasses well before they sold out. Whether preparing for a vacation, planting his garden, or researching a new appliance purchase, you could count on Roger to consider every angle, think through every detail, and take meticulous notes -- just as he did with his scientific research. As some of you may know, Roger was a sports fanatic. As an Orioles season-ticket holder, he loved taking the family to O's baseball games during the warm Baltimore summers. When the Ravens came to town in 1996, he had the prescience to secure season tickets, even though most of his family were not yet super interested in football (something that has certainly changed!). Roger was also very fond of fantasy football and March Madness, as each year, he would act as commissioner, coordinating with extended family members across the country and carefully crafting witty "trash talk" emails to generate camaraderie amongst the group. In 2005, Roger became a grandfather to his first grandchild, Braden, followed over the next ten years by three more grandchildren, Preston (2008), Vivienne (2011), and Simone (2015). All of his grandchildren filled him with immense joy, and since they all lived only about 15 minutes away, he was able to see them almost every weekend. He loved attending Braden and Preston's baseball and basketball games and Vivienne and Simone's soccer games and cheering on the sidelines. During the last few months of his life, nothing could make his face light up quite like a visit from one of his grandchildren. Roger (Dad), you lived your life with purpose, integrity, and humility; you led with kindness; you showed remarkable resilience; and you were always ready to share a laugh. Our hearts break to lose you, and we will miss you every day. Your energy and spirit live on in each of us. We love you. --------- In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Roger McMacken Scholarship Fund: Over the course of his distinguished scientific career, Roger McMacken was an exceptional and devoted mentor to numerous graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. The Roger McMacken Scholarship Fund, an endowed scholarship established by PhD alumni from Roger's lab, supports future PhD students in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University. To donate, go to: https://secure.jhu.edu/form/jhsph. 1. Under "Please designate my gift to support", select "Other" 2. Type in "Roger McMacken Scholarship Fund" in the description. --------- Thank you for contributing to this lasting memorial.