Dr. John L. Zabriskie Jr. Has Passed -- An Aspen, Colorado Reporter's Take -- And, Merck's Golden Era. . . .

He was truly "a gentleman and a scholar. . . ." He embodied most of what was best about the golden age of pharma/life sciences, here in the United States.

And as irony would have it, he had deep roots at the old, old old Merck Sharp and Dohme, and was, for a time, the most honorable CEO -- and person -- in the room, when Fred Hassan arrived to negotiate to acquire all the shares of Upjohn. [Fast Fred was running Pharmacia then.] So -- at many levels, his obit belongs here. He also had lived in retirement in Boulder, and regularly skied at Aspen Highlands. . . . more connectivity. We wish his family peace -- they are certainly comforted by the fact that he was a man who lived a life in pursuit of outsized ideas -- in science, in business and in life. He leaves behind an entire clan of outsized dreamers, to carry on in his name. Do go read it all:

. . . .John was an accomplished business executive in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. He was a graduate of Deerfield Academy and Dartmouth College. He received his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Rochester. John was Co-Founder and General Partner of Puretech Ventures and Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and President of NEN Life Science Products, Inc. At NEN, Dr. Zabriskie led the successful turnaround and sale of the company in a transaction that generated a significant return for investors. Prior to joining NEN Life, Dr. Zabriskie was President and Chief Executive Officer of Pharmacia and Upjohn Inc. As Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Upjohn, Dr. Zabriskie led the Upjohn project, which resulted in the $12 billion merger of equals with Pharmacia Corporation. Prior to joining Upjohn in 1994, Dr. Zabriskie spent 27 years at Merck & Company, where he began as a chemist. He held a variety of positions in quality control, manufacturing, marketing, and executive leadership including President of Merck Frosst Canada, Inc., President of Merck Sharp and Dohme, President of Merck Manufacturing Division, and Executive Vice President of Merck and Company, Inc. Dr. Zabriskie served on the Board of Directors of Kellogg Company, Array Biopharma, ARCA Biopharma, and the privately-held PureTech Ventures. . . .

He -- more than many -- marks the passing of a golden era in American life science. And so, the news of his passing will be motivation. Onward. Be excellent to one another -- or if you can't manage that, then at least be a bit kinder than you really have to be. He always managed to.