Dr. Leonard E. “Lenny” Maroun, 79, of Exeter NH, passed away Thursday November 18, 2021, at High Pointe House in Haverhill, MA.
Lenny was born on April 15, 1942, in Lawrence MA to Ernest C. and Rosalie (Hatem) Maroun. He graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1960 and went on to study at Notre Dame University in South Bend, IN. He later earned his Ph.D at Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
He was the Founder and CSO of Meiogen Biotechnology and former Professor of Medical Microbiology and Immunology at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, Illinois. Lenny graduated from Notre Dame and worked as a research technician for two years before returning to graduate school at the Catholic University of America where he earned his Ph.D. in Cell Biology. He went on to post-doctoral training at the NIH, National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke, and later joined the faculty at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. He was the author of numerous scientific publications and the recipient of diverse research awards in cancer, heart disease, Down syndrome and Alzheimer's Disease. He was Professor and Chair of the Department of Microbiology & Immunology at the Saint Matthews University School of Medicine in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. By invitation, he later joined the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. He also holds several patents for a treatment he developed for Down syndrome and other neurological disorders.
Lenny was a great teacher, beloved by all his students. He won numerous teaching awards and was frequently recognized by both students and faculty for his devotion to teaching. He was also voted Faculty Educator of the Year several times over his career.
Over the years, Lenny amassed hundreds of friends from all over the world. He was even lucky enough to have met Pope John Paul II during a trip to the Vatican. He was the ultimate adventurer and was loved by everyone that he met. He was always willing to lend a helping hand to anyone in need. He loved playing guitar and softball with his friends. His face would brighten as he spoke about his theories of gravity, space exploration and rocket building. He will be dearly missed.
He was preceeded in death by his father, Ernest C. Maroun, mother, Rosalie Maroun (Hatem) and older brother, Charles E. Maroun. He is survived by children he helped raise, Brian Heffernan of Shanghai, China and Caitlin Morla (Heffernan) of Newburyport, MA, along with their mother, Theresa Webber (Heffernan) of Newburyport, MA. He is also survived by many uncles, aunts, and cousins.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Heart Association.
Family and friends are invited to an hour of visitation on Tuesday November 23, 2021 from 10 am to 11 am at the Dewhirst & Boles Funeral Home, 80 Broadway, Methuen. A funeral service will follow the visitation at 11:00 am on Tuesday at the funeral home. Burial will be in St. Anthony Cemetery, Methuen.To leave an online condolence, please visit Leonard's tribute page at www.dewhirstbolesfuneral.com.
A celebration of his life is being planned in Springfield, IL, where he spent more than 30 years of his life, for late spring or early summer. Details will be shared at a later date.
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