Patricia M. Dreyfuss

Dr. Patricia M. Dreyfuss, 73, Midland, Mich., died of natural causes Dec. 6 in the MidMichigan Medical Center, Midland, following a brief illness.

She was the wife of M. Peter Dreyfuss.

Born in Reading, she was a daughter of the late Edmund T. and Anna J. (Oberc) Gajewski.

Dreyfuss was employed as a research chemist by BF Goodrich in Brecksville, Ohio; a research associate for the Institute of Polymer Sciences at the University of Akron in Ohio and senior research scientist and research professor at the Michigan Macro Molecular Institute in Midland.

She also worked at the Universities of Liverpool and Bristol, both in England; and the Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland, as well as Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland; Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant; and Michigan Technical Institute, Houghton.

Dreyfuss was salutatorian of her graduating class at Reading High School. She received a bachelor's degree in chemistry from the University of Rochester in New York and a doctorate in polymer science from the University of Akron.

She was the author of the book "Poly (Tetrahydrofuran)" as well as numerous articles in her field and received several patents.

Her research interests included polymer science, adhesion science, and antidiuretic hormone analogs.

An avid flute player, Dreyfuss studied with Maurice Sharp, principle flautist of the Cleveland Orchestra. She played with the West Suburban Philharmonic Orchestra in Lakewood, Ohio, as well as the Midland Community Orchestra, and was a longtime member of the musical ensemble at the Blessed Sacrament Roman Catholic Church, Midland.

She served for many years as a judge in regional and national Odyssey of the Mind competitions and conducted countless chemistry demonstrations in regional elementary and middle school classrooms.

Dreyfuss was a member of Blessed Sacrament Church.

She is also survived by two sons, David, Palo Alto, Calif., and Simeon, Portland, Ore.

Other survivors include a brother, Leonard Gajewski, Farragut, Tenn.

There are also three grandchildren.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Saturday in Blessed Sacrament Church, Midland, MI. Funeral services will also be held Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. in the Edward J. Kuhn Funeral Home Inc., West Reading. Friends may call from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday. Contributions may be made to the Heifer Project International P.O. Box 8058 Little Rock, AR 72203. Burial will be in St. Mary's Roman Catholic Cemetery, Reading.