In Memoriam

In memoriam: Robert Metrione

ASBMB Today Staff
Feb. 20, 2023

Robert Michael Metrione died June 18 in Neptune, New Jersey, at age 88. He was a member of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology for almost 50 years, and before his retirement, he served more than three decades as a professor of biochemistry at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.

Robert Metrione

Metrione was born in Livingston, New Jersey to Clara and Durand Metrione on August 22, 1933. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Bowling Green University, where he met his future wife, Mary Ann Luedeke. He went on to receive a doctorate at the University of Nebraska and held a postdoctoral fellowship at Yale University.

Metrione’s final research studies focused on DNA polymerase alpha, an enzyme complex that plays a role in launching DNA replication among eukaryotes. He also explored the inhibition of dipeptidyl aminopeptidase, an enzyme that aids in breaking proteins and peptides into their constituent amino acids.

Beyond his academic career, Metrione was known for his devotion to sharing jokes and silly faces with younger family members, slamming tennis balls, tending his community garden plot and crafting cavatelli, a kind of small pasta. He and his wife, Mary Ann, were both active in the local Horticultural Society.

Metrione’s wife, a teacher turned speech pathologist, died in August 2020. He is survived by his sister-in-law, Judy Gary and husband Bruce; sister-in-law, Arlene; children, Dan and Lori Metrione, Linda Lutz, Laura McBride, and Ellen and Brian Gibbons; and grandchildren, Hollie, Carly, Emily, Alec, Kelly, Brian and Maeve.

Enjoy reading ASBMB Today?

Become a member to receive the print edition four times a year and the digital edition monthly.

Learn more
ASBMB Today Staff

This article was written by a member or members of the ASBMB Today staff.

Related articles

In memoriam: Maxine Singer
Marissa Locke Rottinghaus
In memoriam: Peter Geiduschek
ASBMB Today Staff
In memoriam: Jacques Fresco
ASBMB Today Staff
In memoriam: Nadrian Seeman
ASBMB Today Staff

Get the latest from ASBMB Today

Enter your email address, and we’ll send you a weekly email with recent articles, interviews and more.

Latest in People

People highlights or most popular articles

Meet Lan Huang
Interview

Meet Lan Huang

May 19, 2025

Molecular & Cellular Proteomics associate editor uses crosslinking mass spec to study protein–protein interactions to find novel therapeutics.

Meet Shannon Reilly
Profile

Meet Shannon Reilly

May 12, 2025

The JLR junior associate editor discusses the role of adipocytes in obesity at Weill Cornell Medical School.

Meet Donita Brady
Interview

Meet Donita Brady

May 8, 2025

Donita Brady is an associate professor of cancer biology and an associate editor of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, who studies metalloallostery in cancer.

Glyco get-together exploring health and disease
Interview

Glyco get-together exploring health and disease

May 7, 2025

Meet the co-chairs of the 2025 ASBMB meeting on O-GlcNAcylation to be held July 10–13, 2025, in Durham, North Carolina. Learn about the latest in the field and meet families affected by diseases associated with this pathway.

ASBMB recognizes 2025 outstanding student chapter
Student Chapters

ASBMB recognizes 2025 outstanding student chapter

May 6, 2025

The Purdue group, led by Orla Hart, developed STEM outreach initiatives for low-income and minority students in Lafayette, Indiana.

ASBMB inducts 2025 honor society members
Student Chapters

ASBMB inducts 2025 honor society members

May 5, 2025

Chi Omega Lambda, which recognizes exceptional juniors and seniors pursuing degrees in the molecular life sciences, has 16 new inductees in 2025.