José's Life in Our Words
Dr. Joseph (José) L. Rabinowitz (November 4, 1923 - May 28, 2009) was a scientist educationally, professionally, and personally. José’s scientific accomplishments include the discovery of HMG CoA which led to the development of statins, over 300 publications, lecturing around the world, and teaching at the University of Pennsylvania, where he was well known for his jokes at the beginning of a lecture to encourage the students to arrive on time.
He was a devoted husband, caring father and grandfather, and dear friend to many around the globe. He was famed for his joie de vivre as well as his love of food and a good jokes. He often approached strangers, initiating conversations in elevators, restaurants, and auditoriums, often speaking in Spanish. He hid candy in several 'secret' spots around the house, and loved retelling stories with a flourish for embellishment.
He had an extraordinary intellect and the ability to recognize connections between seemingly unrelated phenomena. This and his sense of humor made him unique and memorable.
We have tried to tell José’s story as we understand and experienced it in the following sections:
