Oswald Roels

Oswald was born in Temse, Belgium on September 16, 1921, the son of Ghisleen and Elvire (Heirwegh) Roels. He led a very full life of scientific pursuit and passed peacefully from this earth on May 23, 2011.

Oswald was always a gifted student and excelled academically at the University of Louvain, earning his PhD in Organic Chemistry in 1944. He was a fortunate surviving member of a Belgian Army Unit disbanded after most of its members were executed in the early days of the German Invasion in 1940.

Oswald devoted his life to the study of the effects of malnutrition on the human body and on the development of practical ways of eradicating hunger and its effects on its victims by developing low cost ways of providing protein and other vitamins and nutrients in an environmentally sustainable fashion with minimal impact on the environment. He was able to combine his love of travel with his research and this took him to many fascinating and remote locations.

Oswald first worked at the National Institute for Agricultural Research in the former Belgian Congo (INEAC) from 1945-1949. From 1949 until 1953 Dr. Roels worked in the chemical industry in London (ICI) and Flanders, Belgium. It was during this time, in Liverpool, England, while serving as a leader of a Boy Scout troop, that he met a fellow Scoutmaster, the lovely Dorothy Broadhurst, M.D., an expert in the field of Tropical Medicine. After their marriage in 1950 and the birth of their daughter, Ann, they returned to the Congo as research partners working at the Institute for Scientific Research in Central Africa (IRSAC) from 1953-1960. During this time Dr. Roels discovered that peanut oil readily available locally could enhance the absorption of vitamin A needed to prevent a type of blindness very common in the indigenous population of Africa, and many other countries at that time. His hard work led to the preservation of the vision of thousands. It was here also that Dr. Roels discovered that mariculture could be used to provide locally generated cheap sources of protein to help alleviate the Kwashiorkor, then rampant in the region.

Dr. Roels attended Congolese Independence day, sitting on the reviewing stand behind the Belgian King, at the request of the newly elected Prime Minister, Patrice Lumumba. Shortly after this day, engulfed by the increasing violence of the region, Dr. Roels immigrated with his family to the United States to become a Professor of Biochemistry at Columbia University. After 5 years he began working at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University where his research was focused on his “artificial upwelling,” project in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. He also did extensive research on the environmental effects of Deep Sea Mining. During this time Dr. Roels served as a Professor of Marine Studies at the City College of New York. He also served as Adjunct Professor at the Rockefeller University in New York City from 1969-1980 and as a Visiting Research Professor at Laval University in Quebec City Canada during the same time period.

In 1976, Dr. Roels continued his research interests from his position as director of the University of Texas Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas, Texas. The research he pursued now is used to increase yields of low cost sustainably produced protein to feed people worldwide.

In 1980 Dr. Roels founded the mariculture company, Maritek, raising Shrimp and Redfish on Long Island, Bahamas. He served as the President and Chairman of the Board until his retirement in 1993.

During his academic career, Dr. Roels received many honors. He was awarded fellowships at The University of Brussels, Liverpool University, Vanderbilt University, with the WHO, and at the Sorbonne. From 1961-1968 Dr. Roels was Associate Editor of Nutrition Reviews.

Dr. Roels was thankful to The National Institutes of Health, The National Science Foundation, The Sea Grant Office, The Rockefeller Foundation, The Sid Richardson Foundation and The Leopold Schepp Foundation for their grants that allowed him to pursue his research.

During his limited personal time, Dr. Roels was a highly skilled sailor, a skill and love for which he imparted to his loving only child, M. Ann Roels-Talarico. He is survived by his beloved wife of 61 years, Dorothy as well as his daughter Ann, her husband, Carmen Talarico and his grandchildren Leslie Talarico and Matthew Talarico. He is also survived by his sister Lydia Bels of Temse, Belgium and numerous nieces and nephews in Holland and Belgium. His sisters Marie Jose Weenen and Solange Ringoet preceded him in death. Solange predeceased Oswald by only a few short hours.

Dr. Roels has donated his remains for scientific study to Duke University so that future generations may learn how to heal others.

Dr. Roels would appreciate any memorial contributions to be directed to the Leopold Schepp Foundation, 551 Fifth Avenue, Suite 3000, New York, New York 10176. Donations can also be made on-line.

Condolences may also be expressed at www.harryandbryantfuneralhome.com