John Wesley Cramer

John Wesley Cramer, Ph. D., age 88 passed away Tuesday Sept. 26, 2017. A Celebration of his life will be held Sunday October 8, 2017 at 3:00 PM at the Hart's Mortuary at the Cupola in Macon GA, on 6324 Peake Road. Burial will be private at a later date at Oakland Cemetery in Freeport, Illinois. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made to the American Cancer Society, the Mercer University School of Medicine, or to a society of the donor's choice. Dr. Cramer was born in Freeport, Illinois on October 15, 1928, the son of the late Harry Calvin Cramer and Sara Cora Schultz. He was the husband of Dr. Gisela Turck Cramer from Rohrbach, Hessen, Germany. They were married by Reverend Sloane Coffin January 8, 1967 at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. In addition to his wife, he is survived by two daughters: Claudia Meredith Cramer of Macon, GA and Petra Collette Cramer of Boston, Massachusetts and son Todd Andrew Cramer, his wife Courtney Little Cramer and their two daughters: Mia Cay and Ella Clare Cramer, all of Carbondale, Colorado. He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews: Paul Cramer, Peter Cramer and Anne Cramer Worsham and a sister-in-law Dr. Jean Abel Cramer. Dr. Cramer was a graduate of Freeport High School Illinois in 1946. He later graduated from Beloit College (Wisconsin) with a Bachelor of Science degree (chemistry, 1950) and the University of Wisconsin- Madison with a Master of Science (Biochemistry, 1952) and Ph. D. (Biochemistry, 1955). He was a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Biochemistry of the University of Wisconsin (1955-1957) and the McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research of the University of Wisconsin (1957-1959). He remained in academia in teaching and research positions at the following institutions: McArdle Laboratory, University of Wisconsin (1959, Instructor), Yale University School of Medicine (1959 -1967, Assistant Professor), University of Florida School of Medicine (1967-1975, Associate Professor), University of Nevada-Reno School of Medicine (1975-1981, Professor) and Mercer University School of Medicine (1981-2000, Professor) retired in 2000 from the latter institution as a Professor Emeritus of Basic Medical Sciences. His life long research interests centered upon chemical cancer causation, chemotherapy and cell division. He was a member of the following scientific societies: American Association for Cancer Research, American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, American Society of Cell Biology, American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Biochemical Society of London. Dr. Cramer served the American Cancer Society from 1975-2004 as a founding Board Member and Officer (Secretary) of the Nevada Division and as a Board Member and Officer (President and Past President) of the Georgia Division. He was awarded the Chichester Service Award of the Bibb County Chapter and the St. George Service Medal of the National American Cancer Society. He loved symphonic and operatic art, which he followed and supported. Friends may go to www.hartsmort.com to sign the on online registry for the family. Hart's at the Cupola has charge of the arrangements.