Dr. James Rives Ganaway's Obituary
Dr. James R. Ganaway, 91, of Lewes, DE, passed away peacefully on Thursday, October 4, 2018, surrounded by his family. He was born on Sunday, January 2, 1927, in East St. Louis, IL, son of Amil E. and Eura Mae Ganaway.
Dr. Ganaway was a distinguished veterinary scientist and an international authority on naturally occurring infectious diseases of laboratory animals. His 33 years of Federal service included: the U.S. Army in Heidelberg, Germany (1944-1947), the U.S. Air Force in the Azores Islands and two years later at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in Washington, DC (1953-1961), and the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) as Chief of the Microbiology Unit, Comparative Pathology Section, at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD (1961-1984). He received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Missouri and a Master of Public Health from the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health. After his retirement from the PHS as Director (0-6), he spent three years at Microbiological Associates, Inc., Bethesda MD as Director of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Ganaway was a member of numerous academic fraternities and veterinary medical associations, authored over 41 peer-reviewed papers in medical journals and chapters in books, and made innumerable presentations at national and international scientific meetings. He received the PHS Commendation Medal in 1980, and the prestigious Charles A. Griffin Award in 1984 “for outstanding accomplishments in the improvement of the care and quality of animals used in biologic and medical research”.
To his family, Dr. Ganaway was the consummate husband and dedicated father. He loved to listen to music, played the harmonica and organ, and coached his three daughters through piano lessons. He enjoyed boating, fishing, tent-camping and travel trailering (Airstreaming) across the US and Canada. With his devoted wife, he traveled the world; however, he was always thrilled to return home and tend to his garden which was a lifelong passion. Dr. Ganaway cherished the time he spent with family, ever ready to give a hug, kiss, neck massage, or expound on a teachable moment. He was an incredibly remarkable man whose legacy to science and family will extend far beyond his lifetime. He will be deeply missed.
In addition to his parents, brothers Earnest, Amil E., Samuel and sister Anna Mae Pitts, Dr. Ganaway was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 67 years, Inga Marguerita Ganaway, and a great-grandson, William Cameron Staab. He is survived by a brother, Franklin, sister, Eunice Miller, his amazing daughters: Gale (Rev. Dr. James White) of Lewes, DE, Linda (Dr. Lawrence Barrett II) of Berlin, MD, and Cheryl (Charles Seaman) of Rehoboth Beach, DE; his grandchildren who adored him: Rachael (W. Christopher Staab), Jerusha White, Heather (Thomas Palazzo), Dr. Jason (Stephanie Barrett), Christopher Barrett, Ashley (Phillip Tinker), Courtney (David Daniel), Lauren (Terese Hopper), and Kristen (Garrick Bodnar), and his great-grandchildren who further brightened his life: Delaney, Latham, Emma, Luca, Sophia, Mackenzie, Keagan, Emmalin, Lorelai, Dawson, Madison, and Brock; and a beloved family friend, Elizabeth Graham.
A Memorial Service will be held on Thursday, October 25, 2018, at 2:00 PM at All Saints’ Episcopal Church, 18 Olive Avenue, Rehoboth Beach, DE. A reception will follow the service in the church hall. Interment will be private.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions in Dr. Ganaway’s memory to: All Saints’ Episcopal Church: 18 Olive Avenue, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971, or Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network: 4915 St. Elmo Avenue, Suite 202, Bethesda, MD 20814.
Please sign Dr. Ganaway's guestbook located on this site.
FLORIST NOTE: PLEASE HAVE ALL FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS DELIVERED TO ALL SAINTS EPISCOPAL CHURCH, BY 1 PM, ON THURSDAY OCTOBER 25, 2018.
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