Lee S. Harrow

Lee S. Harrow, 87, a food industry executive, died on Nov. 5, 2013, in Sarasota, Fla.

Born in Washington, D.C., Harrow earned a B.S. in both chemistry and chemical engineering from George Washington University in 1946.

He worked as a chemist at the Food & Drug Administration while attending night school at Georgetown University, earning an M.S. in 1952 and a Ph.D. in 1953, both in physical chemistry.

After leaving FDA, he worked for Philip Morris in Richmond, Va., from 1955 until 1961, serving as an instrument section leader and analytical division manager. He collaborated with chemistry Nobelist Archer John Porter Martin to design and build an early gas chromatograph.

Harrow then worked as a technical director for American Safety Razor until 1964, when he became manager of General Foods’s research department. Subsequently, he was vice president and technical director of Coca-Cola Foods from 1967 until 1973. He then became vice president and corporate technical director for H.J. Heinz Co., helping develop many of the company’s business units and food processing plants in China, Mexico, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe. After retiring from Heinz in 1989, he served as a consultant.

Harrow was a fellow of the American Institute of Chemists, a founding member of the International Life Sciences Institute, and an emeritus member of ACS, joining in 1947.

He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Phyllis; sons, Jeffrey, Bruce, and Arthur; daughter, Sarah Harlan; and eight grandchildren.