Birth date: Jan 16, 1959 Death date: Jul 17, 2022
Gregory (Greg) Victor PLANO – cherished husband, father, son, brother, mentor, colleague, and friend – died July 17, 2022, in Miami at age 63 after battling renal cell carcinoma. He was the beloved husband of Lisa, father of Sharo Read Obituary
Dear Lisa, my deepest condolences to you, Sharon, and your whole family. I just learned of Greg’s passing after seeing the notice of his memorial lecture on ASM. Jim and I are so shocked and saddened. Greg taught me microbiology research and what I needed to get my Ph.D. and I will never forget him and you. 🙏😢💗
Dear Lisa, I'm so glad that we had a chance to have dinner together in Boston and with Sharon in Miami. Everything seemed so positive in Boston that it just seemed natural that all would work out. I am so, so sorry that that promise lasted only a few years instead of the decades that you all, and especially Greg, deserved.
Dear Aunt Ellen, Jay, and Vicki, I am heartbroken for you and with you. Our summer vacations together throughout my childhood are an indelible part of my history.
- The long drive through Pennsylvania (etc etc) to finally wind up in the exotically-named Kalamazoo where you lived in the remarkable house with (seemingly) a million levels and the beautiful backyard. A sudden doubling of the number of "kids my age" so that we could play tons of tennis, board games, arcades and other fun. And yes, Greg was forever winning! I can still remember a ping pong game with him where I was struggling to keep up and, by some miracle, the ball bounced off the wall and back onto his side of the court. I said (in desperation), "OK! rebounds off the wall should count!" Greg, unperturbed, said, "Fine." and proceeded to demolish me by bouncing the darn ball off the wall EVERY TIME. No practice, no warming up, just naturally that gifted.
- Another long drive through Wisconsin to reach Grandma & Grandpa's home. How did it never change? Grandpa's magic machining equipment and Grandma's "chewing gum" washing machine... The might Wisconse, practically outside the door (OK, over a wall, and across a field, but still!). More tennis and board games plus the added joys of Dairy Queen, the Five & Dime (oh, the treasures to be had!) and Council Grounds. And fishing. I'm not sure I ever caught anything live, but you could count on Greg catching a beautiful fish almost every time.
- I especially remember one hike/wade we made up the Wisconsin Dells with our Dads and brothers. It was a perfect day, and such a beautiful place. I'll always treasure that memory.
I don't remember ever having a fight or even a real disagreement in all those years and all that time together. We grew apart as we stopped having summer vacations together and our generation dispersed to the four corners of the country. Greg clearly made so many smart choices, especially in marrying the wonderful Lisa and raising smart and kind Sharon, in picking a career where he could make so many useful contributions in a fascinating field.
We all make choices and deal with the consequences, but we can't pick our luck. I am so sorry, Greg, that you had to deal with such an unrelenting cancer. I admire the calm stoicism with which you approached each phase of the disease. I am grateful to have had that little bit of extra time to be with you and get to know some of the joy you created.
Rest in peace, Greg.
Love,
Linda
Lisa, my deepest condolences. As a graduate student I idolized Greg's work as a post-doc with Sue. After our first in-person meeting, I idolized Greg, always kind, gentle, smart, and supporting. He will be missed...
Lisa, Sharon and family, Having worked with Greg for many years, I was saddened to hear about his passing. He was one of the most sincere, kind-hearted, caring man and a great colleague I was honored to know. Moreover, he was loved by the graduate students and was always sought after for his kindness, but more importantly for his wisdom and guidance. The world lost a great man way too early. May you find comfort in all of his memories you shared. May God grant you peace and strength during this time. I’m sorry I will be unable to make his service, since I am currently in Scotland, but will be in there in spirit with our UM Microbiology and Immunology family. With lots of love, Karen (formerly Del Rio) Lorentz
