Obituary: Morris Bader

Morris Bader, 72, of Bethlehem, died peacefully at home on Thursday, April 21, 2005. Born: In New York, he was a son of the late Louis and Esther Saltzman Bader. Personal: He and his wife, the former Karen Roberts, were married for 45 years. He was a graduate of Stuyvesant High School in New York City. He was a 1953 graduate of the City University of New York, formerly City College of New York and earned his Ph.D. in physical chemistry at Indiana University, Bloomington, Ind. He taught at New York University, Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio, and Moravian College. He was an emeritus professor of chemistry at Moravian College. He taught chemistry and computer science from 1962 until his retirement in 1995. He also taught physical chemistry, developed the initial computer science program, conceived and funded SOAR program for funding student and faculty summer research, and collaborated and developed a plant growth hormone. He was a scientific glassblower, making much of his own equipment. He developed scientific programs and published five computer manuals and software which sold worldwide, the profits of which were donated to assist faculty research travel to conferences. He developed the course, “Chemistry for the Non-Science Major” and his paper “A Systematic Approach to Standard Addition Methods in Instrumental Analysis” is highly cited and used widely in practice. Morris holds two patents, one for a bicycle gearing system and one for a quartz infrared cell; both manufactured. He has published numerous articles in numerical scientific computation for chemical analysis, solution of hard differential equations, and improved accuracy and error analysis in numerical computing. His chemistry publications include various chemical experiments for use by educators, and guideline and error estimates for the neglect of buoyancy in laboratory weighings. He has published in the Journal of Chemical Education and in American Laboratory of which he was a contributing editor. Memberships: He was a championship chess player and the Moravian College Chess Club Advisor. He supported the Moravian College Foreign Film Festival. His many volunteering activities included teaching swimming to toddlers at the 3rd Street Alliance, Easton, Rodale Theater, State Theatre, Easton. He was a 21 year Musikfest volunteer, Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg Hospital. He was financial advisor to the Friendship Circle of the J.C.C., and was assistant Scoutmaster of Troops 304 and 346 in the Minsi Trails Council, Boy Scouts of America. Morris was a member of Congregation Beth Avraham, formerly Agudath Achim of Bethlehem. He was a member of the board and then president for 20 years. He read Torah and led services.

Survivors: In addition to his wife, Karen, he is survived by three sons, William A. of Bethlehem, Joel S. and his wife, Jennifer of Baltimore, Md, David A. and his wife, Sara Gottlieb of Albuquerque, NM; a daughter, Debra S. Eisenstein and her husband, Eric of Ithaca, NY; two sisters, Rose Hittman and her husband, Ralph, Marian Ashrey, all of New York City; and five grandchildren.

Services: Graveside services were held on Friday, April 22, 2005 at Beth Avraham/Agudath Achim Cemetery, Fountain Hill, Pa. Arrangements are by the Long Funeral Home, Bethlehem.

Contributions: In Morris’ memory, memorials may be made to the Congregation Beth Avraham, 1555 Linwood Street, Bethlehem, PA 18017; or to the Bader Memorial Scholarship Prize in Chemistry, Moravian College, 1200 Main Street, Bethlehem, PA 18018.