István Pelczer, director of NMR facility and department lecturer, dies at 73
The Department of Chemistry mourns the passing of István Pelczer, director of the NMR Facility and a lecturer in the teaching faculty, who died after a brief illness on October 18 in Philadelphia, PA in the presence of his family. István was a member of the department for 30 years and a beloved teacher for generations of young scientists. He was 73.
István Pelczer.
István was born in Esztergom, Hungary on Sept. 22, 1953, and earned his Ph.D. in chemistry at the University of Szeged, after which he obtained a position as an NMR Spectroscopist in pharmaceutical research in Budapest. There, he also met his partner for life, Mária Vargek.
An invitation from Syracuse University in 1989 enabled István to establish himself and his family in the United States as one of the leading specialists in the field of NMR where he developed pioneering multidimensional data processing technology. He was also an application scientist at New Methods Research, Inc. (NMRi). István was recruited by the Princeton University Department of Chemistry in 1996. Among his many achievements, he was instrumental in establishing the NMR facility as among the preeminent research centers in the world.
István’s work at Princeton was anchored by his passion for teaching and mentoring students and colleagues. He had a long history of teaching graduate courses, advising senior thesis students and summer program participants, and assisting department users with warm advice and practical guidance about NMR experiments and data processing.
A true Renaissance man of curiosity, intellect, and humor, István was also an unmistakable fixture in downtown Princeton, stopping by Small World Coffee for his regular espressos with his white hair and grey Oaxacan poncho.
In his personal life, István was a beloved and devoted partner, father, and friend. He delighted in anything beautiful, marveled at all living things, and found endless joy in sharing his observations with those around him. He played several instruments, and made time to read political science books and the Magyar poetry of his native country. István dutifully cared for his many plants, always rescuing the fallen saplings, and had special “Grandpaw” relationships with all of the animals his daughters brought into the family.
István is survived by his wife of 44 years, Mária Vargek; his two daughters, Anna and Éva Pelczer; his sister Katalin Gyimesi; and a beloved circle of friends in the United States and abroad.
A Celebration of the Life of István Pelczer will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 3 p.m. at the Mather-Hodge Funeral Home in Princeton, New Jersey.