Dr. Robert P. Popovich

Dr. Robert P. Popovich, born January 9, 1939 in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, passed away peacefully in his sleep Friday, November 2, 2012. He was lovingly referred to as Papa Turkey by his family and many close friends.

Bob spent his childhood in Sheboygan, Wisconsin where he attended North High School. He subsequently received his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin Madison in 1963, his Master of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin Madison in 1968 and his Doctor of Philosophy Degree from the University of Washington Seattle in 1970. He had the honor to pursue his Ph.D. under the direction of Belding H. Scribner, M.D. and Professor Albert L. Babb.

Following his school career, Bob moved to Austin, Texas where he worked as a professor at The University of Texas Austin in the Department of Chemical Engineering from 1972 until 1992. His concentration was in Biomedical Engineering and was honored to receive the E.P. Schoch Professorship during his career at the University of Texas. During this time he developed a professional research partnership and longtime friendship with Jack W. Moncrief, M.D. working in the field of Nephrology. Bob’s most precious accomplishment was his work with Dr. Moncrief, conceiving and bringing to practice Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis, a pioneering new method of treating patients with end stage renal disease. Bob also was honored to work with many other world renowned nephrologists as well, most notably Karl D. Nolph, M.D. of Missouri and Dimitrios G. Oreopoulos, M.D. of Toronto, Canada. There was nothing Bob loved more and was more devoted to than pursuing medical research that would come to impact countless numbers of people throughout the world and also teaching young, bright students, many of whom have gone on to become doctors, surgeons, professors and research scientists.

Bob was preceded in death by his father Anton Popovich, his mother Ida Selke Popovich and his sister Donna Popovich Bartel.

He is survived by his wife of 31 years, Lou Ellen Addison Popovich; daughter, Kathleen Mary Popovich Noel of Austin, TX; sons, Steven Robert Popovich of Little Chute, WI, Scott Anthony Popovich of Sheboygan, WI, Robert Edward Popovich of Houston, TX and Michael Ray Buffaloe of Cedar Park, TX; brothers Jack Popovich of Madison, WI and Thomas Popovich of Eden Prairie, MN; and five grandchildren – Christopher James Noel, David Alexander Noel, Scott Anthony Popovich Jr., Cassaundra Yvonne Popovich and Sean Hunter Buffaloe.

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from six o’clock until eight o’clock in the evening, on Thursday, the 8th of November 2012, at Cook-Walden Funeral Home, 6100 North Lamar Boulevard, Austin, Texas.

A funeral service will be conducted at one o’clock in the afternoon on Friday, the 9th of November 2012, in the Colonial Chapel of Cook-Walden Funeral Home, 6100 North Lamar Boulevard, Austin, Texas. Interment will follow in Austin Memorial Park, Austin, Texas.

In lieu of flowers and customary remembrances, the family suggests donations be made to the National Kidney Foundation or to the American Stroke Association.