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Rebecca Sue Reiter

REITER, SMILEY, METHLIE, AWTRY, HIROTA

Posted By: Sarah Fletcher (email)
Date: 5/18/2023 at 11:58:58

Rebecca Sue Reiter, age 84 passed away on May 9, 2023. She resided at Oaknoll Retirement Residence in Iowa City, Iowa.

Rebecca was born December 9, 1938, in Chariton, Iowa, and grew up in Melcher, Iowa. Her grandfather practiced medicine, her father, Winfield Reiter was a dentist, and her mother Mildred (Smiley) was a loving, dedicated mother. When Rebecca was one year old, her father left to serve several years in WWII and returned to a daughter several years older. Her beloved brother Warren, three years older than she and dog Sarge completed the family home.

Rebecca graduated from Melcher High School in 1956. She then attended Grinnell College (IA), graduating with a bachelor’s in Biology in 1960. Her college honors included membership in Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Xi and Mortar Board. During college she spend a year in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) as an international exchange student. She brought home a large brass hand-pounded intricately patterned platter, which hung on her wall in her home throughout her life.

Returning to Iowa, Rebecca attended graduate school at the University of Iowa, completing an M.S. in Developmental Biology in 1964. She then moved to Tennessee in 1964 and worked as a Research Assistant at Oak Ridge National Laboratory until 1967. She established wonderful friendships there which lasted her lifetime.

In 1967 Rebecca was drawn back to her Iowa home and her alma mater, taking a position as Research Assistant in University of Iowa Department of Biology, working in cell physiology.

In 1969 Rebecca then joined the new Developmental Biology lab of Dr. Michael Solursh, expanding and honing her excellent skills in cell and tissue culture, as well as in situ hybridization to identify specific DNA and RNA segments, exploring mouse and chick limb and heart development. This collaboration lasted 25 years until 1994, upon Michael’s passing.

Jim Lin, PhD recognized her immense scientific skills and in 1994 invited Rebecca to join him and Jenny Lin in the University of Iowa laboratory where she became expert in the complex technique of in situ hybridization. She went on to teach many graduate students, post docs and faculty researchers alike from around campus as well as nationally. In 2003, on the occasion of Rebecca’s retirement and 65th birthday, and to recognize her scientific contribution, Professor Lin and Jenny Lin hosted a two-day symposium in her honor. Seven scientists from around the country, whom she helped train in the Lin laboratory made presentations on their current work. Friends, family and colleagues gathered for dinner, socializing and celebrating Rebecca. She retired that year as a Senior Research Scientist.

Rebecca has 46 scientific papers that carry her name, published in a variety of scientific journals. These have been cited by other scientists thousands of times to date.

In addition to her professional work, Rebecca was very committed to civic responsibilities and was very active for many years in Johnson County Democrats and served on the boards of Johnson County League of Women Voters, the American Association of University Women, the Hawkeye Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa and the Foundation Board of the Iowa City Public Library. She had an interest in archeology and participated in several digs in Iowa. After a trip to Greece she developed a passion for ancient Greek civilizations and read extensively about their cultures. In addition to trips to Greece, she was privileged to travel with friends to Eastern Europe, Mexico, Turkey, Japan, Taiwan, the Galapagos Islands and Croatia.

Her dogs, Sarge, Alpha, Lucy and Pascal provided her endless joy, intrigue and entertainment. through her life. Rebecca deeply understood each of them. She was passionate about caring for all animals, and was a volunteer at the Johnson County Humane Society.

She is preceded in death by her beloved brother Warren Reiter and her dear cousin Ray Methlie, and the many dogs she loved and cared for throughout her life.

She is survived by her sister-in-law Jeanne Reiter and niece Catherine Awtry (Bill), all of Coralville; their children Hannah Hirota (Nick) and Joey Awtry (Brooke) and their daughter Lula Mae Awtry; also by nephew Alex Reiter (Ramona) and his children Casey and Caedyn. She is remembered by many friends and professional colleagues who admire her humor, skills, compassion, patience and generosity.

Rebecca chose to be cremated. A Celebration of Life will begin at 1:00 pm Saturday, June 10th, in The Heiden Room in the Spring Street building, at Oaknoll Retirement Residence, 1 Oaknoll Court, in Iowa City. Private burial will be in the Dallas Township Cemetery in Marion County, Iowa.

In lieu of flowers and plants, Rebecca requested that donations be made to CommUnity Crisis Services of Iowa City.

Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service
 

Johnson Obituaries maintained by Cindy Booth Maher.
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