THOMAS H. ROSENQUIST, Ph.D. Thomas H. Rosenquist was born in Dubuque, Iowa on February 16, 1942 to Frank and Dorothy Rosenquist and passed away in Edmond, Oklahoma on January 7, 2023.
He graduated from Dubuque Senior High School in 1960 and from The University of Dubuque in 1964 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology. At the University of Dubuque, he was elected president of the student senate in 1963-64. In 2000 he was awarded the annual Professional Achievement Award from the University of Dubuque Alumni Foundation. After graduation Tom pursued post graduate studies. He received a Master of Science Degree in Zoology in 1967 from New Mexico Highlands University and a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Anatomy and Cell Biology in 1969 from Louisiana State University in New Orleans. He then took a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy at the University of Southern California College of Medicine after which he joined the faculty in that department beginning a long career, excelling in both teaching and research.
He moved to The Medical College of Georgia Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology in 1973 and rose through the ranks to professor. In 1992 Tom became Professor and Chairman of the Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy at The University of Nebraska Medical Center. He was Vice Chancellor for Research at UNMC during a time of great growth and development of the UNMC research enterprise. Tom's research career flourished. His work in heart development and the causes of congenital heart defects drew many large scale research grants and resulted in hundreds of scientific publications. He was especially proud that his work was cited by other scientists more than 3,000 times and continues to be cited frequently to this day.
He was chairman or member of numerous major federal research grant reviews, including NIH and NASA. He was chairman of the meeting in Toulouse, France, where the biology projects for the joint NASA/European Space Agency "Biorack Flight Opportunities on Shuttle Missions" were selected.
Tom was invited to participate in scientific meetings and symposia all over the world. He and his beloved Dianne loved to travel. He was so pleased that he had visited 4 continents, 22 countries, all 50 Unites States, and that he had lived in all 4 of the United States time zones.
His greatest joys were getting to grow old with Dianne, the love of his life, and watching his three boys grow into fine men. Tom was a devoted fisherman and loved every minute that he spent on the water. In addition to his parents Tom was preceded in death by his brother, Lee Rosenquist. He is survived by his wife, Dianne; sons Frank Rosenquist (Annmarie) of Charlotte, NC Gunnar Rosenquist (Sarah Aird) of San Francisco, CA and Kevin Eckard of Edmond, OK; grandchildren Megan, Thomas, Ava Rosenquist and Eric Eckard; brothers and sisters In law Ted and Laura King of Marietta, Ga and Randy and Kay King of Pendleton, SC; along with several nieces, nephews and cousins.
A memorial service will be held at All Souls Episcopal Church, 6400 N Pennsylvania Ave Oklahoma City, OK on Friday, February 3 rd , 2023, at 11am.
In lieu of flowers the family requests memorials be made to The University of Nebraska Foundation, 1010 Lincoln Mall, Suite 300, Lincoln, NE 68508. The family of Dr. Rosenquist will be determining an area at UNMC to support in his name.