There are not enough pages in a newspaper or letters on the internet to describe the accomplishments and kindness of Dr. Gene D. Luther! Doc passed away this week at the age of 87. Although most people will never know it, they were touched by inventions, vaccines, and research of Dr. Luther. National media used his time-lapsed video numerous times when they ran stories about microbiology, or virology.
If you eat beef, you were affected by his research and his vaccines against anaplasmosis for cows. If you ride a horse, you may have heard of equine encephalitis (even if you didn’t know about all of doc’s research in that field). If you hunt with a thermal scope, doc had a hand in the earliest research for night vision goggles. Those areas are just a few of the accomplishments in a thousand accomplishments that Doc gave to the world. I have never known anyone more intelligent or so willing to help others in whatever feat they wished to accomplish. Doc was a huge influence in my life and in the life of my husband. Dr. Gene D. Luther will be missed by all who knew him.
Picture below is at our wedding in 1974. Doc is on the far left.
This is the last picture posted by Doc before he passed away. Doc was born in Arkansas in 1932. He always said he came from humble beginnings and never flaunted his intelligence or his money. What I didn’t know until after he died was the story of his family’s move from Arkansas to Oklahoma when Doc was very young. The family moved without a place to live in the 1930’s. They dug a home in the side of a creek bed and that is where they lived until they built a home. Obviously in America, with enough grit and determination, you can go far regardless of where you start! Doc never saw a roadblock, he only saw problems that needed a solution. There were no challenges that he was not willing to tackle. He was a loving husband, father, and a good friend to many. We miss you already Doc!