Garland Grammer, Ph.D., a physics instructor and professor at Monmouth University, passed away on Wednesday, Jan. 30 at CentraState Medical Center in Freehold Township at the age of 75.
“He was a delightful and really sincerely caring person. He was always willing to take on any variety of coursework,” said William Schreiber, Chair of the Department of Chemistry and Physics.
Schreiber noted, “He was always eagerly sharing any information with his colleagues. Eager to do so, even in his last weeks in the hospital he was doing that.”
A native of Roanoke and Lynchburg, VA, Grammer received his bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech, Doctorate in Theoretical Elementary Particle Physics from Cornell University, and a former Vietnam War Veteran.
Prior to teaching at Monmouth, Grammer worked as a research associate at the Institute for Theoretical Physics at SUNY Stony Brook, research assistant professor at the University of Illinois, Bell Labs/AT&T, IBM as a senior project executive, and with Martin Perl, Ph.D., at Stanford University.
While working with Perl, Grammer’s contribution led to the discovery of tau lepton, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics.
As a professor at Monmouth, Grammer was always involved and searched for methods helpful for physics courses.
“We had a tremendous amount of construction and had to move the physics lab out to another room to start working,” said Schreiber.
He continued and said, “After construction, we had to move it back. He just, without ever a word being said, took charge of the process to make sure everything went well and worked out beautifully as we settled. Whatever it was and no matter how awkward his schedule was, he was just ready to jump in and do it.”
Grammer taught Physics for Life Sciences, Physics with Calculus, and the laboratories for these courses.
When Grammer was hired, he began teaching a course titled Physics in Our Lives, and developed an immediate connection with his students.
Schreiber said, that he had a real affinity for students. “If you knew him, you would see that’s just how he was. They knew he cared about them, their learning, and they really responded to that,” he said.
“Dr. Grammer is honestly the sweetest, most compassionate professor at Monmouth,” said Gabby Ruiz, a senior biology student concentrating in molecular cell physiology.
Ruiz said that Grammar made an effort to make sure that every student understood the material and that no one gets left behind.
“I had him for Physics with Life Sciences 1 and 2, and though my career won’t use much physics, he got me excited about what he was teaching,” said Ruiz.
She recalled an instance when Grammar even gave her a granola bar when he knew she was hungry from skipping breakfast to rush to his 8 a.m. lab.
“Everyone loved him and he was very much liked,” said Adham Hasan, a senior health studies student majoring and double minoring in biology and chemistry.
IMAGE TAKEN from Clayton & McGirr Funeral Home
