Obituaries

Gerda I. Klingman, 73, professor emeritus, biochemical pharmacology

Private funeral services were held for Gerda I. Klingman, 73, professor emeritus in the Department of Biochemical Pharmacology, who died Aug. 16 in Buffalo General Hospital.

A graduate of Fordham University College of Pharmacy, she received her Ph.D. from the Medical College of Virginia. She joined UB in 1961 as an instructor in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacology in the School of Pharmacy. She was named assistant professor in 1963 and professor in 1967.

The author of numerous scientific publications, she took part in many international meetings and served on National Institutes of Health study sections dealing with drugs of abuse. Her research interests were in neuropharmacology, neurochemistry, addiction, stress and embryonic differentiation.

A member of the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, she also held membership in Rho Chi, pharmacy honor society. Among her community service efforts: serving as a volunteer faculty member in Calasanctius School and training pharmacy students to speak in area schools on the dangers of drug use.

Survivors include her husband, Jack D. Klingman, professor emeritus of biochemistry, and a daughter, Karin L. Klingman, research assistant professor of medicine.

Frances R. Pettapiece, 80, retired secretary to the president

Services were held Aug. 6 in the Delaware Chapel of Amigone Funeral Home for Frances R. Pettapiece, 80, a retired secretary in the Office of the President. She died Aug. 2 in Millard Fillmore Hospital.

She was a full-time homemaker until the early 1960s, when she returned to work at UB as a receptionist in Goodyear and Clement halls. Known fondly at the university as "Mrs. P," she worked in the office of foreign student affairs in the early 1970s.

Mrs. Pettapiece, who served as a secretary in the president's office from 1975 until her retirement in 1979, was a member of the UB emeritus society.

Kenneth W. Rasmussen, 60, associate professor of modern languages

Memorial services were held July 26 in Unitarian Universalist Church for Kenneth W. Rasmussen, 60, an associate professor of modern languages, who died July 18 at the home of his daughter in Watertown. Rasmussen had battled cancer since May.

Involved in cultural activities his entire life, Rasmussen lived for five years in Brazil and Mexico and traveled to many other countries. Fluent in several languages, including Spanish and Portuguese, he could converse in Italian and French and read books in Swedish, Danish, German, Romanian and Galician.

He earned a bachelor's degree in Portuguese from Brigham Young University in 1960, receiving a master's degree in Portuguese and Luso Brazilian Studies and a doctorate in Portuguese and Spanish from the University of Wisconsin in Madison in 1971.

Rasmussen came to Buffalo in 1966 as an assistant professor and was named associate professor in 1972. He taught classes in Spanish and Portuguese languages as well as Portuguese civilization, Brazilian literature and Brazilian and Spanish culture. He was a consultant for Portuguese bi-lingual, bi-cultural programs at UB and a faculty advisor to the Brazilian Student Association.

He had served as an interpreter for the U.S. Immigration Service and was an examiner for the Critical Language Programs at Geneseo State, C.W. Post, Skidmore and Nazareth colleges, as well as an examiner in Portuguese for Houghton College, the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago, Ill., and the state Department of Education.

Rasmussen produced numerous publications, presentations and exhibits relating to Brazilian and Portuguese culture.