Search Archived Marriage Records
Gregory K. Metz
Gregory K. Metz, Power Plant manager, born in Petoskey on Nov. 22, 1957, to Earl and Evelyn Metz. He grew up in Sturgis and graduated from Sturgis High School in 1975.
Greg received his bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from the U-M in 1979. He had worked for the University since 1979 in the Utilities Department and worked as chief engineer of the Power Plant for the past 14 years.
“Greg had a long and strong and varied impact on Plant Operations for the University,” said Bill Verge, associate director for utilities and plant engineering. “Besides his recent service as manager of the Power Plant, Greg was also an intregral part of the development of energy management programs for the U-M in the early ’80s.
“In the late ’80s,” Verge continued, “Greg participated in the early stages of the deregulation of the natural gas business for the U-M, leading to the savings of millions of dollars. As manager of the Power Plant, Greg oversaw the installation and operation of gas turbine generators, designed to operate in a combined cycle, a very efficient process.
“Greg was respected and well liked by his staff and his peers at the U-M as well as in the industry. He will be missed by many as a professional engineer, colleague and friend.”
Added Rich Robben, director, Plant Operations, “During my time here at the University, I came to know Greg as an excellent co-worker and manager-truly a man of character and strong personal beliefs and integrity.
“Greg was the kind of co-worker that activities are built around. He will be greatly missed, and the Metz family’s loss is shared by Greg’s friends and co-workers in Plant Operations.”
Greg had been a Parks and Recreation coach for both soccer and baseball, and a den leader for the Cub Scouts. He was a teacher in the Religious Education Program at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Dexter. He was a past member of the Society of Professional Engineers.
Along with his wife and children, he is survived by his mother, Evelyn; two sisters, Christine (David) Bakeman and Karen Fennell; a brother, Gary (Nancy King) Metz; and several nieces and nephews. He was died Feb. 23, 2001 at University Hospital after an extended illness. He was passed away on March 12, 2001 after a highly distinguished and productive career as a scientist and educator. He is survived by his wife, Mechthild, and his two children, Sofia and Oliver. He was 69.
Medzihradsky received both his undergraduate degree and Ph.D. from the Technische Universität in Munich, Germany. He then came to the United States, where he was a National Institutes of Health postdoctoral fellow at the University of Wisconsin, as well as a trainee of the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Blindness at Washington University in St. Louis. Medzihradsky joined the U-M faculty in 1969 as an assistant professor of biological chemistry and as director of the biochemistry laboratory in the Upjohn Center for Clinical Pharmacology. He was promoted to associate professor of biological chemistry in 1973, to associate professor of pharmacology in 1975 and to professor in both departments in 1981.
Throughout his career, Medzihradsky was interested in drugs that act in the central nervous system. Most notable was his characterization of drug transport in neuronal and blood cells, as well as his contribution to the understanding of the biochemical mechanisms of opioid action. Recently, the National Institute of Drug Abuse renewed the research grant “Opioid Receptor Mechanisms” for an additional four years. This grant, now in its 12th year, was originally directed by Medzihradsky, who continued to provide consultation on the project.
Medzihradsky served on the editorial board of the journal Drug Metabolism and Disposition and as director and co-director of the Biochemistry Core Facility in the Diabetes Research and Training Center in the Health System. Medzihradsky was an exceptionally dedicated and popular teacher of medical students and served on numerous committees to evaluate and improve the Medical School curriculum. During the course of his tenure, he served as thesis chair for 10 doctoral students and was recipient of the Kaiser Permanente Award for Excellence in Teaching. Medzihradsky was named professor emeritus of pharmacology after retiring in April 1998. He will be remembered with fondness and will be greatly missed by his colleagues and students.
James Allen Roberts
James Allen Roberts, formerly of Saline, a Stanford gynecologic oncologist and father of three, born in Milwaukee, Wis., and is predeceased by his father, John, and brother, Michael. He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Rosemary; his three children, James, Brian of Ann Arbor and Maureen; his mother, Florence; his brothers, Daniel and John; and his sisters, Sandra and Theresa.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the James A. Roberts, M.D., Memorial Fund, Stanford University Medical Center, Section of Gynecologic Oncology, 300 Pasteur Drive, Room H302, Stanford, Calif. 94305-5317.
Irwin M. Rosenstock
Irwin M. “Rusty” Rosenstock, professor emeritus of health behavior and health education, passed away May 7.
