Max L. Deinzer

Max L. Deinzer, 75, a chemistry professor emeritus at Oregon State University, died in Corvallis, Ore., on May 20, 2013.

Born in Weehawken, N.J., Deinzer earned a B.S. in chemistry at Rutgers University in 1960, an M.S. in chemistry at the University of Arizona in 1963, and a Ph.D. in organic chemistry at the University of Oregon in 1969.

Deinzer then worked for DuPont and the Environmental Protection Agency before joining the chemistry faculty as an assistant professor at Oregon State in 1973. He established an internationally recognized center in mass spectrometry research in the university’s chemistry department.

With a broad interest in chemical processes, he studied how hydrogen/deuterium exchange reactions can be used to predict protein structure in solution, worked to elucidate the chemical composition of hops, and researched the fundamentals of gas-phase negative-ion formation by resonance electron capture mass spectrometry. He was an emeritus member of ACS, joining in 1961.

Deinzer enjoyed hiking and climbing in Oregon, tackling difficult ascents in the Cascade Mountains. An accomplished pianist and oboist, he also sang in the Rutgers University Chorus as a student, which allowed him to perform under accomplished conductors including Leonard Bernstein, Eugene Ormandy, and Erich Leinsdorf.

Deinzer is survived by his sons, Eric and Nick; his daughter, Karen; and three grandchildren.