"Revision to Tribute from Dr. Amar Shah, originally posted on October 19, 2017:
At this time, I would like to take a moment to remember my dear friend and mentor, Professor E.N. Lightfoot, who has recently departed the Earth for his heavenly abode.
Professor Lightfoot was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1925. He was a mentor, friend, guide, and inspirational figure to us all. He was a gracious and generous man; a man of the people, who was a constant source of inspiration and wisdom to so many. He touched our lives and helped mold our characters, so that we could achieve our greatest success. I acknowledge and appreciate the enormous influence that he had on my life and personal success; and for this, he will always have my respect and admiration.
Professor Lightfoot lived a long, productive and fulfilled life of great achievement. He received his B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University. He was a pioneer in the development of fundamentals and in the applications in the life science field. Widely known for his research, he made many contributions in transport phenomena. Professor Lightfoot focused on the development of improved separation processes and controlling the dynamics of biological systems. While working at Phizer & Co., in Brooklyn, N.Y, he developed and patented a commercial process for recovering and purifying vitamin B12.
He co-authored the classic textbook Transport Phenomena, alongside colleagues R. Byron Bird and Warren E. Stewart, which was translated into several foreign languages. Transport Phenomena includes the transport of heat, mass and momentum. It has proven to be one of the most influential books ever written in the engineering sciences. Transport Phenomena has, at a very fundamental level, transformed the way Engineers view and approach problems in the United States and throughout the world. He also authored Transport Phenomena & Living Systems: Biomedical Aspects of Momentum and Mass Transport. In this work he extended transport phenomena to the even more complex systems of the life sciences.
His teaching career began at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he was the Hilldale Professor Emeritus in the Department of Chemical Engineering. It was here that he inspired greatness, independence, creativity and critical thinking. He shared his brilliant mind and served as an inspiration to the scientific careers of his many students; treating us as colleagues or even members of an extended family. He cherished his graduate students. I was fortunate to be one of them. It was then that he became a towering figure in my life and career.
Professor Lightfoot was elected into the National Academy of Engineering in 1979, and the National Academy of Sciences in 1995. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Trondheim, in 1985; and, in 2000, he received an honorary doctorate from the Danish Technical University.
Professor Lightfoot was recognized by President George W. Bush for his innovative research and leadership in transport phenomena focusing on biochemical and biomedical engineering with application to blood oxygenation, bioseparation techniques, and diabetic response, as a recipient of the 2004 National Medal of Science. In 1991, he was the recipient of the Warren K. Lewis Award for Chemical Engineering of the AIChE.
In addition to his professional achievements and contributions to society, Professor Lightfoot was a loving husband to his departed wife, Lila Lightfoot, for 67 years. Professor Lightfoot believed Lila's influence was not only the key to his personal happiness, but also his professional success. They shared their home with many students and who became a part of the extended Lightfoot family. Lila Lightfoot passed away in November 2016.
I pray that they have found each other again. They are both proudly survived by their daughters Dory (Enrique) and Nancy (Nick); and sons, Ted (Sue), Robert (Karin), and David (Barry) and many friends and loved ones.
Professor Lightfoot departed our Earth peacefully, in his sleep, on Monday, October 2nd, one week to the day after his 92nd birthday. He was in a good place, at home, with his daughter Dory; surrounded by his dogs and without any pain or suffering.
We send our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones at this difficult time, and we remind you to celebrate the beautiful life of our dearest Professor Lightfoot.
It is difficult to say farewell to such a great man. I will miss Professor Lightfoot as a mentor and friend. He truly meant so much to so many of us. I am comforted by the fact that his intellect, his pioneering spirit and his compassion will endure in us to exemplify his legacy.
Rest in peace, my dearest friend and mentor. You will never be forgotten.
Amar Shah - Silver Microshield
amarshah@silvermicroshield.com
"