Rev. Sam Trumbore's virtual home

Conrad Noble Trumbore

Scientist, devoted partner, father and involved citizen, Conrad died at the age of 93 on July 14 2024 at Kendal-Crosslands Communities in Kennett Square, Pennsyvania.  He was born in 1931 in Denver, Colorado. He is survived by his partner, Elinor Thomforde, children Rev. Sam and Dr. Susan Trumbore, and grandson Andrew.

Conrad grew up in Mechanicsburg, a small town in eastern Pennsylvania during the Depression of the 1930s.  He followed his older brother Forrest to Dickinson College, where both majored in chemistry.  Moving to Penn State, he obtained a PhD in chemistry in 1955.  While at Penn State he met and fell in love with Jean Foight, who was studying home economics.   When Conrad was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to study radiation chemistry in the Netherlands, he and Jean married so she could accompany him.  

Returning to the USA, Conrad worked at Argonne National Lab and the University of Rochester before settling in 1960 in Newark, DE in the Chemistry Department at the University of Delaware.  By then he and Jean had two children.   In addition to research and teaching, Conrad found time to be active in the community.  He was an early member of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Newark. He offered a sermon in the 1960’s titled “Molecules and Morals” that tapped into a favorite theme – how chemistry plays a key role in all aspects of life.  Conrad and Jean were also active in politics and the local Democratic party, working on issues including affordable housing, women’s rights and civil rights.  He supported Jean’s run for state representative in 1972 (the year Joe Biden was first elected to Senate) and continued to work on statewide campaigns for Democratic candidates.   Sadly, another of Conrad’s roles was primary caregiver for Jean, who died in 1990 at the age of 57 after a long struggle with breast cancer.

In 1992, Conrad began a new phase of life when he married Virginia Ahrens, a professor of teTextile Chemistry at the University of Delaware.  During these years, Conrad developed the course “Chemistry and Human Environment” to engage students by teaching them how chemistry affected every aspect of their lives.  He created interactive animations to help teach concepts.

In 1997, Conrad began a new phase of his life with his retirement. Virginia and Conrad moved to Kendal-Crosslands Communities in Kennett Square, PA in 2003. There Conrad continued to work on animations and developed his passion for photography. His ‘Fotomagico’ shows combining photo images with classical music became anticipated community presentations.  Conrad served on many committees including the Memorial Committee.   He supported Virginia through cancer treatments then she passed away on the eve of the 2016 election.  

The final phase of Conrad’s life he referred to as his happiest.  He found a new life partner in Elinor Thomforde at Crosslands.  He embarked on a new scientific endeavor, developing a theory of how large proteins like those linked to Alzheimer’s disease could be transformed by flowing with fluids through the brain.  In a series of 8 papers starting in 2018 (the 9th was in revision on his death), Conrad synthesized his ideas in the context of new published results and described what scientists who had access to laboratories could do to test his ideas. 

His life will be celebrated in a memorial service at the Crosslands Community Center (map) at Kendal-Crosslands Communities off Highway 926 in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania on August 3 at 12:45pm with a reception to follow. The service will also be broadcast on Zoom (link) for those who may not be able to attend in person. A recording of the service will be uploaded to YouTube and linked here afterwards

Links

Memory Book

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