Dr. Leslie Norins

He received his bachelor's degree at Johns Hopkins University and his M.D. at Duke Medical School. He then received his Ph.D. from University of Melbourne (Australia) where he was a postdoctoral fellow in immunology with Sir Macfarlane Burnet, Nobel Laureate, at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute. Next he moved to the CDC in Atlanta. He worked in its Venereal Disease Research Laboratory, and at age 29 was appointed its youngest director ever. He authored several medical research articles and served on committees of the NIH and World Health Organization. After seven years, he resigned to begin his lengthy career in medical publishing on the proverbial "kitchen table". Over the following 40 years, he became the world's most prolific creator and publisher of subscription medical newsletters for healthcare professionals--82 titles. All were eventually sold to large medical publishing firms. In semi-retirement he began reading about Alzheimer's disease. He was struck by many facts which hinted that a microbe could be the trigger, but only a few researchers had examined this possibility. He wrote a white paper setting forth his reasoning, and founded the not-for-profit Alzheimer's Germ Quest, which offered a $1 million prize for definitive proof of such an organism. Sadly, no convincing evidence was submitted by other scientists, so only consolation prizes were awarded. He helped broaden interest and funding for research on Alzheimer's microbes by lobbying NIH, Alzheimer's support groups, and philanthropists. The most prestigious ally gained was the Infectious Diseases Society of America, of which Leslie was a Fellow. That organization provided its imprimatur, and awarded several research grants which he helped fund. In midlife he had relocated to Naples, FL. There he met his wife, Ann "Rainey" Norins, through a blind date set up by their local bank manager. Thirty-two years of happy marriage ensued.

Survivors include his wife, Rainey Norins; his sister-in-law, Evie; niece, Patricia Clapp and her husband, Adrian, and their daughter, Abigail, his grandniece; nephew, Adam Norins; stepsons, Taylor Thompson and Cheyney Thompson; and grandchildren, Rainey and Luther.

Funeral services will be private.