Coughlin Funeral Home
15 Academy Street
Califon, New Jersey 07830
Phone: (908) 832-2414
Obituaries
| Gary B McVicker Gary Brice McVicker of Califon, NJ passed away on January 22, 2010 at Warren Hospital, Phillipsburg, in the care of Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice following a long struggle with lung cancer. He is survived by his wife, Catherine M, (Hebson), his children, Andrew B. McVicker, Grass Valley, CA and Mercedes J. McVicker, Washington, DC; brothers James (Lorraine) and William (Joyce) and sister JoAnne Leininger, all of Boone IA; three dozen nieces and nephews across the country; and countless friends from work, the coffee club, the airport, and the community. The youngest of eight children, Gary was predeceased by his parents, William and Blanche (Dutton) McVicker, brother Daryl and sisters Vivian Wirtz, Marjorie Pepper, and Dorothy McMahon. Gary was born in 1941 and reared in Boone, Iowa where he excelled at high school football and baseball while holding down an after school job. With the encouragement of a much-loved teacher following his father’s untimely death, Gary attended Upper Iowa University on scholarship, where he received a B.S. in Chemistry and Mathematics in 1963. In 1968, Gary was awarded a Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry from the University of Wyoming, Laramie. Gary was employed by Esso, now ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company, in 1968 and was a charter member of the company’s Corporate Research Laboratory in Linden NJ, which was responsible for carrying out longer term, high-risk research in support of corporate wide existing and emerging business areas. He moved from Westfield, NJ to Califon when the Exxon Research Center relocated to Clinton in 1983. Gary retired in March 2005 from ExxonMobil Research as a Distinguished Research Associate/Group Leader. Throughout his career Dr. McVicker was a mentor and champion for younger members of the technical staff. Gary was a world renowned researcher in the area of heterogeneous catalysis and his work had dramatic impact in both the ExxonMobil world of petrochemical refining and in the larger catalysis community. Gary’s work has been documented in over 50 technical publications in refereed journals and 55 issued U. S. patents, and discussed in 70 invited lectures at universities and technical conferences. Dr. McVicker was a versatile research scientist with interest and experience in both the fundamental and more applied aspects of heterogeneous catalysis. Gary’s strong interest in catalytic materials was complemented by a broad working knowledge of materials synthesis and modern characterization techniques. His ability to unravel complex reaction chemistry networks was facilitated by an in-depth knowledge of physical-inorganic chemistry, thermodynamics and kinetic-modeling techniques. Gary was an award winning expert in critically defining structure/function relationships in both metal and solid acid-promoted hydrocarbon conversion reactions and developing diagnostic model compound probe reactions specific to metal and acid site chemistries. He is known worldwide for his pioneering research in the use of "smart" molecules to probe the properties of acid catalysts that are used in many industrial processes. His model compound protocols have been widely adopted by many of his industrial and academic colleagues in their own work. Gary’s landmark papers on isobutane conversion over both amorphous and zeolitic solid acids was the first to identify that different catalytic functions are required for the initiation and propagation pathways in paraffin cracking and isomerization reactions. The work is still frequently quoted and studied in graduate chemistry programs. It has led to dozens of follow-up studies by others to better understand initiation and propagation processes in hydrocarbon conversion reactions over both amorphous and zeolitic solid acids, important reactions that are used everyday to produce most of the gasoline we consume. He was a key team member and a major contributor to the commercialization of Pt-Ir bimetallic reforming catalysts at a time when such catalysts were crucial to lead phase-out from gasoline in the US in the 1970’s. A member of the American Chemical Society and Sigma Xi since graduate school, Gary was very active in professional circles. He has been a Director of the Catalysis Society of New York and he served as a board member and vice-president of the North American Catalysis Society. He served as technical program co-chair of the 1999 North American Catalysis Society meeting. He was on the editorial board of the Journal of Catalysis. He was chair of the 1994 Gordon Research Conference on Catalysis, the premiere catalysis meeting in the world. In 1995, his extensive scientific achievements were recognized when he received the New York Catalysis Society Award for Excellence in Catalysis. Gary was further honored as the winner of the 2000 F.G. Ciapetta Lectureship in Catalysis and in 2002 he was the recipient of the American Chemical Society George A. Olah Award in Petroleum Chemistry. Gary’s 38 year career is marked by his enduring dedication to mentoring aspiring young scientists as they entered the research community and progressed in their careers. Gary believed that it is critical to foster a work environment that embraces scientific inquiry and camaraderie for researchers while providing commercial rewards for the organization. His efforts were recognized in 1995 when he won the Exxon Golden Tiger Award, a prestigious internal company recognition for his efforts in mentoring youth. At local New York and at Gordon Catalysis Society meetings, Gary befriended many of the attending graduate students and provided an inspiring voice of encouragement to them as they endeavored to start their careers. There are researchers too numerous to count in countries around the world who have been touched by his kindness and graciousness. His avocation in later years was aviation. He was a member of a team of four that rebuilt from boxes of parts two Stearman biplanes from the early forties. He treasured the friendships forged during those barn projects as well as the several trips to the annual Stearman Fly-in at Galesburg, IL and two trips to the biannual Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point (NC) Air Show where his Stearman was included in the static display. He spent many joyful hours exploring the skies of Hunterdon county in his 1953 Piper Tripacer and 1946 Aeronca Champ, probed the far northern reaches of Quebec in a floatplane, and flew from New Jersey to California with his son, Andrew, in a 1947 Stinson Voyager. His lifelong love and knowledge of a wide range of music inspired his daughter, Mercedes, to write and perform her own songs in the folk/indie genre. Gary was also an accomplished craftsman, woodworker and furniture refinisher. For 40+ years he spent summers fishing, boating, and hiking with his family at Lake Kushaqua in the northern Adirondacks. Calling hours will be on Saturday, January 30, from 1 pm to 4 pm, followed by a prayer service at 4 pm, at Coughlin’s Funeral Home in Califon. At the family’s request, contributions in lieu of flowers may be made to Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice, 33 Sparta Road, Newton NJ 07860 or to 2010 Gordon Conference on Catalysis, c/o Gordon Research Conferences, 512 Liberty Lane, West Kingston, RI 02892. | ||||||||||||
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