Egon Durban

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Egon Durban on March 21, 2025 at the age of 82, after a long and valiant battle with Parkinson’s and celiac diseases, and their associated physical consequences. He was born in Oberkirch, Germany (parents: Karl Durban and Gertrude Graf; both predeceased him). He received a master’s degree in Agricultural Engineering from the Technical University of Berlin in 1966. Shortly after, he continued his studies at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago where he completed both master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Biochemistry and Microbiology in 1971. He returned to Germany for postdoctoral training at the University of Lubeck, but came back to the United States in 1974 for further training at the Fels Research Institute in Philadelphia. In 1977, he joined the faculty at Baylor College of Medicine where he did research and taught Biostatistics for more than 20 years. In 1996, he also completed a Master’s degree in Biometry at the University of Texas School of Public Health. He loved teaching, and following retirement from Baylor, he joined the faculty of the De Bakey High School for the Health Professions where he taught AP Physics until his final retirement in 2014.

Egon was a caring and loving husband, father, grandfather, and brother, and was always ready to help anyone who asked for his advice. He was humble and unassuming, with an even-tempered personality, who was proud of his son and students, and cherished their accomplishments. In his spare time, he played piano, and was an avid reader of history and philosophy. He had a talent for languages, was fluent in German, English, and French, and was studying Greek until his eyesight no longer permitted this endeavor. While a parishioner at St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Houston, he taught Sunday school, and was a Eucharistic minister.

He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Elisa (Fernandez) Durban; son, Egon-Pierre Durban (California; wife Abigail); granddaughters Katie, Sydney and Anna Durban; sister, Elke (Durban) Hoffman (Diersheim,Germany; husband Wilfred); brother, Karl-Heinz Durban (Diersheim, Germany; wife Clarisse), and numerous nieces and nephews, all who live in Germany. The family expresses their gratitude to the two amazing caregivers, Leslie Boutte and Andrea Pillar, and their sponsoring agency (Syd Gerber & Associates) who patiently and professionally helped Egon’s wife take care of him, at home, until the end.

Friends are invited to visitation at 9:00 am, followed by the Rosary at 9:30 am and the Mass at 10:00 am, Friday, April 4, 2025, in Our Lady of Lourdes Chapel at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church,6800 Buffalo Speedway. Rite of Committal will follow at Forest Park Westheimer Cemetery in Houston, TX.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make donations in Egon’s name to UTHealth Houston, McGovern Medical School, to be designated specifically for the research of Dr. Holly Holmes, Professor and Division Director of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine, 7000 Fannin St., Suite 1200, Houston, TX 77030 (713-500-3200) giving@uth.tmc.edu