In Memoriam: ASCP Recognizes the Passing of Two Esteemed Leaders

ASCP recognizes the passing of two leaders in the field of pathology and laboratory medicine. They are Robert John Durrant, MS, MLS(ASCP)^CMSM^CM, chair of the ASCP BOC Microbiology Committee and Eugene Herbek, MD, FASCP, past president of the College of American Pathologists.

Mr. Durrant, 37, of Cottonwood Heights, Utah, brought joy and wisdom to all those fortunate to know him. Mr. Durrant, who chaired the ASCP Board of Certification Microbiology Committee, passed away May 29, 2020 after a 12-year battle with brain cancer. After earning both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in medical laboratory sciences (MLS) from the University of Utah, he became ASCP board-certified and began his career in the microbiology lab at ARUP laboratories. He gradually ascended the ranks to become supervisor of multiple laboratory sections. At ARUP, he also served as teaching specialist for all MLS, MD and PhD students training in the microbiology lab. He later became an assistant professor of pathology in the MLS division at the University of Utah. It was in this division that his contributions to the medical profession truly blossomed. Robert died young, but influenced many. 

"Robert Durrant was a passionate advocate for the medical laboratory science profession and a beloved educator and program director," said Patricia A. Tanabe, MPA, MLS(ASCP)^CM, Executive Director of the ASCP Board of Certification. "He served on the ASCP BOC Microbiology Examination Committee as a member, vice-chair and chair. Robert accomplished so much for the profession and will be profoundly missed."

To read more about Mr. Durrant’s remarkable contributions to the medical laboratory profession, click here.

Eugene (Gene) Herbek, MD, FCAP, 70, a past president of the College of American Pathologists, passed away June 4, 2020, after a short illness. He was a pathologist at Methodist Hospital in Sioux City, Iowa. He joined Methodist in 2004, serving as medical director of transfusion and coagulation services for the hospital’s pathology center. Dr. Herbek also was medical director of the Methodist Women’s Hospital laboratory. He earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and completed both his medical degree and residency at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He entered practice in the early 1980s at St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center in Sioux City. On July 19, 1989, while serving as acting Woodbury County medical examiner, he was called upon to identify victims of the United Airlines Flight 232 crash in Sioux City. Nearly 20 years ago, he hosted the first See, Test & Treat screening at the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in South Dakota. This led to the creation of a nationwide cancer screening program for underserved women. Read more about Dr. Herbek's life and career here.