It is with some sadness that we note the passing of Dr. Roy Walford, in many ways the father of the modern calorie restriction movement. I see no media coverage yet, but the news was posted to a few of the community lists:

Dr. Roy Walford, pioneer in techniques of calorie restriction for extension of life span, has died in UCLA-Santa Monica Hospital today of complications of ALS, a rare muscle wasting disease with no well-established modifiable risk factors. Dr. Walford was two months short of his 80th birthday. Present were Dr. Walford's daughter Lisa and son Peter, as well as friends of the family. Dr. John Braun of UCLA plans to raise funds for a endowed chair at UCLA in Dr. Walford's honor. Funeral arrangements have not been announced, but cremation is planned for the body, with scattering of ashes at sea.

Steven Harris

Dr. Walford's books and other publications were a great help to me in my explorations of calorie restriction, and they remain the recommended starting point for newcomers. He contributed greatly to advancing medical knowledge in this field, and was an inspiration for many of us.

Each death in the world is a terrible tragedy, but as individuals we just don't see or appreciate that fact all that often. The best thing we can all do in memorium for those who have passed is this: to continue to contribute our time and effort towards improving medicine, providing alternatives to the grave, and defeating the aging process - fighting to make death by old age a thing of the past.

Posted by Reason at April 28, 2004 1:43 PM | TrackBack (0)