In Memoriam

by Lila Gierasch, Lynmarie Thompson, and Craig Martin

Last fall, we lost a true scholar and gentleman whose commitment to the Chemistry Department was boundless. Peter Lillya (full name Clifford Peter Lillya, but he never used Clifford!) spent his entire career in the Chemistry Department at UMass Amherst. He joined the faculty in 1963 after his doctoral work with Nobel Laureate E. J. Corey at Harvard. Forever after, until the day he died, Peter was the soul of the Chemistry Department. His gentle, kind, humble demeanor permeated all his endeavors. He had a profound impact on the culture of the department by setting a tone for all departmental activities. One could not shirk one’s duty when one rubbed shoulders with such a generous colleague! Peter Lillya never balked at taking on myriad administrative responsibilities, never wavered from his principles, never stopped looking towards the future, and never overlooked the interests of all of his colleagues, for all of which he was greatly loved. Peter showed the same interest and gave the same level of support to everyone, regardless of their stature. A gifted teacher and an intellectually curious colleague, Peter would generously and effectively take on whatever teaching duties were needed.

 Peter Lillya’s research interests were broad, spanning the intersection of polymer science and chemistry. He published over 100 papers, many of which were collaborative with his colleagues at UMass in Chemistry and in Polymer Science & Engineering. He had an insatiable curiosity about all things chemistry and never missed a departmental seminar and, in fact, attended many in other departments. He could be counted on to ask probing yet gracious questions of speakers, no matter the topic. (He also never missed socializing at the refreshments beforehand!) Peter spearheaded many improvements in infrastructure at UMass Amherst, notably high resolution nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry. He recognized early on the potential of computer technology to enhance teaching, and after his formal retirement in 2002, he continued to contribute to his Department, authoring chemistry problems for the UMass online web learning (OWL) electronic homework system used by thousands of students. Peter believed it was extremely important to support the development of young faculty, and he helped to cultivate a culture which enabled them to thrive. His impact extends to many current faculty who grew up in this culture and were profoundly influenced by his positive example.  Peter Lillya’s loyalty to his family, the UMass Chemistry Department, the campus, and all the people he encountered in his career was boundless and heartfelt. He leaves a huge hole in our hearts and a legacy of kind, intelligent collegiality that is irreplaceable.

PETER LILLYA CELEBRATION OF LIFE
On May 11, friends, family, and colleagues of Peter gathered in the UMass Life Sciences Laboratory conference

center to celebrate his life and legacy. The event began with a Mozart piece played by a string quartet organized by Peter’s longtime friend and colleague Bill MacKnight (PSE Emeritus Faculty). Four talks outlining Peter’s many contributions were given by Paul Lahti, Lila Gierasch, Beatrice Botch (all Chemistry Emeritus Faculty), and David Collard (PhD ’89 with Peter Lillya and now Chemistry Professor at Georgia Tech). Attendees were then invited to share memories of Peter. Interesting stories were told by Bob Mahoney (BS ‘70), Bill Vining (UMass Chemistry Faculty 1996-2005), Dave Adams (BS ‘67 and UMass Chemistry Faculty 1999-2009), Chemistry colleagues, OWL colleagues, and many more students, friends, and family.    This warm, uplifting, and bittersweet occasion was a chance to reconnect with old friends, to cherish memories of Peter, and to appreciate

the impact of his 60 years in our department. His scientific curiosity about all fields of chemistry and his universally supportive attitude set the long-term tone for our remarkably collegial department. We were reminded of all that we have lost with his passing, and, even more importantly, of all that we gained by knowing Peter Lillya.

William "Bill" E. Mahoney ’55 was a longtime friend and committed supporter of the UMass Amherst Chemistry Department. He earned a BS in Chemistry and was the first of his Springfield, MA family to graduate from college. Bill had a very successful career in industrial chemistry, rising to the position of Chief Operating Officer and Vice Chairman of the Board at Witco Corporation, a manufacturer of specialty chemicals, petroleum products, and engineered materials. Through the Witco Corporation, Bill supported a named chemistry seminar starting in 1997. Upon his retirement from Witco, Bill funded the seminar himself, which is now the Mahoney Chemistry Seminar, featuring chemists who have made a real-world impact.

In the early 2000s, Bill returned to UMass Amherst as an Adjunct Professor in Chemistry. He pioneered a new course called the "Business of Chemistry," bringing in business leaders from industry to teach UMass Amherst students the realities of the chemical industry. As a campus leader, Bill acted as chairman of the advisory council for the (then) College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, starting in 2003.

Bill felt he "got so much out of his time at Umass" and wanted to give back; in 2020, he established the William E. Mahoney Chemistry Fund for Undergraduate Research to support summer research for students majoring in chemistry.
Bill's many lasting impacts on UMass Amherst were recognized with the prestigious Chancellor's Medal (1996) and Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award (2006) from UMass Amherst. In short, Bill Mahoney was a dedicated member of the UMass Amherst community for more than 70 years.

Joann Chandler has been part of the chemistry family since 1959, when her husband John A. Chandler joined the department as a faculty member. Professor Chandler excelled in the classroom and was

recognized in 1986 for his dedication when he received the prestigious Distinguished Teaching Award. After his passing, Joann established the John A. Chandler Memorial Scholarship to support chemistry majors entering their senior year with preference given to students who plan on pursuing a career in teaching and/or participate in the Supplemental Instruction (SI) program. Joann and her family were regular attendees of the Senior & Awards Dinners where students were presented with their awards.

This year, rising seniors Kevin Alexander and Joseph Gerrior received Chandler Scholarships. Both have expressed an interest in teaching chemistry at the college level along with continuing to do research. Kevin has been an SI leader for Math, holding review sessions and creating course questions for students learning Linear Algebra, and he was an UGTA for chemistry in Advanced Physical Chemistry where he held office hours and graded assignments. Joseph said his experience with the peer tutoring program inspiring tutees to be excited about chemistry sparked his interest in teaching chemistry.

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