Obituary of George W. Pearsall

GEORGE W. PEARSALL Latham- George W. Pearsall Sc. D., P.E., 82 of Latham, beloved husband of Margaret M. (Feeney) Pearsall, passed away on Sunday, February 21, 2016 at Albany Medical Center, in Albany following a brief illness. Born and raised Brentwood, Long Island, NY, he was the son of the late Milo and the late Margaret (White) Pearsall. Dr. Pearsall proudly served in the United States Army during Korean War and was honorably discharged at Fort Leonard Wood, MO. At the time of his death, George was Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering as well as Professor of Public Policy Studies at Duke University. An internationally recognized expert on material failure analysis and its relationship to product safety and design, his research also focused on the development of methodology for assuring that designed products are safe, and was regularly called upon by litigants in complex litigation matters to provide expert testimony. He was also currently Adjunct Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY where he had first earned a Bachelor of Metallurgical Engineering degree. After graduating from RPI, he joined The Dow Chemical Company as a research engineer, before going on to study at The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he earned his doctorate and became a member of the faculty there for 4 years. In 1964 he began his career at Duke, where he was a beloved teacher, mentor and friend to hundreds of students and colleagues during his tenure as both Professor and (twice) Dean of the university's prestigious school of engineering (the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke). While at Duke, Dr. Pearsall was also a founding trustee of the Triangle Universities Center for Advanced Studies, Inc. (TUCASI), which facilitated the location of the National Humanities Center, the Microelectronics Center of North Carolina, and the North Carolina Biotechnology Center in the Research Triangle Park. He helped initiate Duke's Program in Science, Technology, and Human Values, and he was the first director of an experimental program at Duke in Technology and the Liberal Arts. In 2001 he was awarded the Triodyne Safety Award by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. A distinguished lecture series commemorating his work bears his name at Duke University and regularly attracts world-renowned experts in their field to speak on cutting edge academic research areas. George is survived by his loving wife: Margaret "Peg" Pearsall and his little furry friends Ike and Mike. Relatives and friends are invited and may call on Tuesday, February 23, 2016 from 5:00-7:00 pm at Dufresne & Cavanaugh Funeral Home, 149 Old Loudon Road, Latham. His Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, February 24, 2016 at 11:00 am at Our Lady of the Assumption Church, 498 Watervliet-Shaker Road, Latham with Fr. Geoffrey Burke officiating. Interment will take place in Memory Garden's, Colonie. Peg sincerely thanks the superb staff of 5D and Neuro ICU at Albany Medical Center for the wonderful, expert, compassionate care and kindness lovingly given to George and to her during his final days. If so desired and instead of flowers, Peg requests any memorial contributions be made to the Hudson Mohawk Humane Society, 3 Oakland Ave., Menands, NY 12204 or the charity of one's choice. For directions, information, to light a memory candle or order flowers for the family please visit www.dufresneandcavanaugh.com.