2007
James
2007
James L. Gilfillan
February 10, 2007 — February 19, 2007
James L. Gilfillan, 84, of Mountainside died on Feb. 19, 2007 in Overlook Hospital in Summit.
Mr. Gilfillan was born in Staten Island and resided in Mountainside for many years.
He was a graduate of Perkiomon School in Pennsburg, PA where he was on the varsity basketball and tennis teams. From 1937-1939, Mr. Gilfillan was Staten Island Boys Singles Tennis Champion. He entered Dartmouth College in 1939. After Dec. 7, 1941 he enrolled in the accelerated program and received a BA degree from Dartmouth. In Feb. 1943 he was accepted into the US Naval Reserve Midshipman's School at the University of Notre Dame. After receiving his commission in May of 1943, he served on a submarine chaser in the North Atlantic. He attended gunnery school in Miami and was then appointed gunnery officer on the USS Humphreys, a destroyer escort, for duty in the Pacific. He took part in the battle of Leyte Gulf and was present when General Mac Arthur returned to the Phillipines. He achieved the rank of Lieutenant when he was retired from active duty in in Dec. 1945.
After World War II he worked for Squibb and Co. in New Brunswick and White Chemical Co. in New York City before joining the research laboratories of Merck and Co. in Rahway in 1948. His work at Merck involved the evaluation and development of natural and synthetic compounds, many of which became products for use in both animal and human health. He was the first to discover the activity of the compound that became ZOCOR. Mr. Gilfillan was the author or coauthor of a number of scientific papers. He was a research biochemist at teh time of his retirement from Merck in 1988.
Mr. Gilfillan was a member of Tompkins Lodge FAM #471 of Staten Island, the Martin Walberg American Legion Post of Westfield and a loyal alumnus of Perkiomon School and Dartmouth College.
Mr. Gilfillan's first wife, Elizabeth "Betty" Wurtz Gilfillan, died in 1980.
He is survived by his wife of 25 years, Evemarie Celozzi Gilfillan. Also surviving are his sisters-in-law, several cousins, nieces and nephews.
Memorial services and burial of his cremains will be held in Manchester, Vermont in the spring.
Donations in his memory may be made to the Overlook Hospital Foundation, the Mountainside Rescue Squad or to a charity of your choice.
Arrangements have been under the care of Gray Funeral Home, Westfield.
Mr. Gilfillan was born in Staten Island and resided in Mountainside for many years.
He was a graduate of Perkiomon School in Pennsburg, PA where he was on the varsity basketball and tennis teams. From 1937-1939, Mr. Gilfillan was Staten Island Boys Singles Tennis Champion. He entered Dartmouth College in 1939. After Dec. 7, 1941 he enrolled in the accelerated program and received a BA degree from Dartmouth. In Feb. 1943 he was accepted into the US Naval Reserve Midshipman's School at the University of Notre Dame. After receiving his commission in May of 1943, he served on a submarine chaser in the North Atlantic. He attended gunnery school in Miami and was then appointed gunnery officer on the USS Humphreys, a destroyer escort, for duty in the Pacific. He took part in the battle of Leyte Gulf and was present when General Mac Arthur returned to the Phillipines. He achieved the rank of Lieutenant when he was retired from active duty in in Dec. 1945.
After World War II he worked for Squibb and Co. in New Brunswick and White Chemical Co. in New York City before joining the research laboratories of Merck and Co. in Rahway in 1948. His work at Merck involved the evaluation and development of natural and synthetic compounds, many of which became products for use in both animal and human health. He was the first to discover the activity of the compound that became ZOCOR. Mr. Gilfillan was the author or coauthor of a number of scientific papers. He was a research biochemist at teh time of his retirement from Merck in 1988.
Mr. Gilfillan was a member of Tompkins Lodge FAM #471 of Staten Island, the Martin Walberg American Legion Post of Westfield and a loyal alumnus of Perkiomon School and Dartmouth College.
Mr. Gilfillan's first wife, Elizabeth "Betty" Wurtz Gilfillan, died in 1980.
He is survived by his wife of 25 years, Evemarie Celozzi Gilfillan. Also surviving are his sisters-in-law, several cousins, nieces and nephews.
Memorial services and burial of his cremains will be held in Manchester, Vermont in the spring.
Donations in his memory may be made to the Overlook Hospital Foundation, the Mountainside Rescue Squad or to a charity of your choice.
Arrangements have been under the care of Gray Funeral Home, Westfield.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of James L. Gilfillan, please visit our flower store.
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