Welda LaJean Chaffin

Welda LaJean Chaffin died at her home in Lubbock, Texas on April 20, 2021. She was born October 28, 1942 to Charles Weldon and Lola Sherrod Chaffin, both of whom preceded her in death. She and her brother grew up in Austin, Texas.

She had many varied interests. She was keen about supporting charities with her time and money. She loved music and was accomplished on the flute, piano, harpsichord, and organ. Classical music was her genre. She was an avid reader, building her own home library with thousands of her favorite books. She was a student of history, particularly colonial America, European, and English history. She travelled extensively around the US, North America, South America, Europe, Great Britain, Africa, and Australia. Much of her travel was history or research oriented as well as for collaborating with colleagues in Europe and Spain. She cherished her few friends and treasured how cultural events enriched her world.

She relished learning for the sake of learning. She finished Austin’s A.N. McCallum High School in 1961 as a top graduate. In 1964, she graduated from the University of Texas, magna cum laude, in their Plan II program with a degree in chemistry. She was a member of the Longhorn Band and a member of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society. She obtained her PHD in biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin (Madison), working in Dr. Robert Bach’s lab. She did post-doctoral work for Dr. Harlyn Halovorsen at Brandeis University in Massachusetts as a NIH post-doctoral fellow.

In 1972, she began her teaching/research career as an assistant professor of biology at TCU in Ft Worth. She spent 1975 as a NIH research fellow back at Brandeis before returning to TCU.

In 1980, she took an assistant professorship teaching biochemistry in the Texas Tech chemistry department. The following year she became a visiting professor in the microbiology and immunology department at the Texas Tech Health Science Center. Later she became a full professor and served as the interim chair of microbiology from 1997-2000. She also served TTUHSC as their acting Dean for the Graduate School and their acting Dean for Research in the early 2000s.

Her research focused on the opportunistic pathogen Candida Albicans. She received support from numerous NIH grants. From the mid-1980s to 2015, she published over 60 scientific papers on this topic. She presented her work nationally and internationally. She also contributed professionally to her career as a reviewer for many peer review panels and journal review panels. She was an active member of the American Society of Microbiology. In 1988, she cofounded the ASM’s Conference on Candidiasis and Candida Albicans. In 2013 she retired from TTUHSC as professor emerita.

After retirement, she rekindled her interest in history and began writing a book on the history of female apprentices and masters of the Goldsmith Company of London during the time period known as early modern Britain (17th century). She made numerous trips to London during the process. This book, although mostly completed, remained unfinished at the time of her death but, hopefully, it will be completed and published by someone else at the Goldsmith Company. She did successfully complete a project on apprentices of the Goldsmith Company who sued for discharge in the Lord Mayor’s court. This project will be published in conjunction with Patrick Wallis. Along the way, she developed a passion for collecting silver and she amassed a museum worthy collection of pieces made by women goldsmiths of the 17th century.

She and her parents were active members of Lubbock’s Oakwood Methodist Church. A few years after their death (2003, 2009), she transferred to St John’s United Methodist Church where she participated in the Shepherd’s Sunday School Class. She was a Believer!!

She is survived by her brother, Dr. Lowell Chaffin of Amarillo, Texas and his wife Jana; nephew, Jonathan Chaffin of Amarillo and his wife Taylor; niece, Cassie Chaffin Haney of Amarillo; several young great nieces and nephews including: Mandie Haney, Matthew Haney,

Michael Haney, Marcus Haney, Miles Haney, and Melodie Haney all of Amarillo, and Whitney Graham and her daughter Aspen of Rhome, Texas.

Celebration of Life Service will be held at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, May 1, 2021 in Resthaven’s Abbey Chapel. The family will receive guests one hour prior to service.

Livestream will be available on Resthaven’s Facebook. Please visit www.resthavenfuneralhome.com for online tributes.

The family requests that any donations be made to your favorite charity.