Barbara Jean "jean" Novales

Died

Mrs. Barbara Jean Martin Novales passed away in Evanston Hospital March 18th, 2019 as a consequence of treatment for Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. "Jean" or "B.J." was born in Minneapolis January 28th, 1929 and attended the University of Minnesota, majoring in Zoology. She was a technician for Professor H. Burr Steinbach, who did important work on the "sodium pump". She also met Otto Loewi Pri d'Nobel, while at Woods Hole Marine Biology Laboratory. Then she went to Berkeley as a University of California graduate student in Zoology, in the laboratory of Professor Daniel Mazia. He was to gain fame by isolating spindle fibers from dividing cells. She received her M.A. for work on the effect of calcium ion on cell division in sea urchin eggs. She met and later married Dr. Ronald R. Novales, presently Professor Emeritus of Nuerobiology of Physiology, Northwestern University. They were married 65 years, including much of his time in the U.S. Army (1953-1955). She worked as a Technician in Northwestern's Physics & Geology Departments ending up in my laboratory where we studied the regulation of pigment movements in the melanophores of cold-blooded vertebrates. She co-authored a number of our papers. She had a sister, (Joan Martin) M.A. Northwestern University, who was a highly regarded English teacher. She also had two daughters, Nancy (Mrs. James Hershey) and Mary (Mrs. John McNichols) and four grandchildren, Jacob and Nicole Hershey, and Christopher and Susan McNichols. She studied ceramics, and was a leading local watercolorist. She founded the knitting group at the Unitarian Church of Evanston, where she was a member for many years. She was an excellent cook & gardener and had a great way with children. She lived an exemplary life, was much-loved by all and will be greatly missed. Services were private and contributions to WTTW Channel 11 in her name would be greatly appreciated. -Ronald R. Novales, Ph.D. (Zoology)

Source: Chicago Tribune

Published on: 25-04-2019