Sitz, Thomas Orr

Thomas Orr Sitz, 65, of Blacksburg, Va., died on Tuesday, September 28, 2010, at Montgomery Regional Hospital. He was born in Newport, R.I., on December 9, 1944, to the late John Harry and Margaret McCullough Sitz.

Dr. Sitz recently retired from Virginia Tech and was granted Professor Emeritus. He was Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Anaerobic Microbiology in the College of Agriculture and Life Science, and Director of Premedical Studies. He was the recipient of the Alumni Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Advising in 1982. Dr. Sitz was president of the Virginia Academy of Science in 1995 to 1996. He received a B.S. in Biology from Virginia Tech in 1967 and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry in 1971. Dr. Sitz received a prestigious post-doctoral appointment at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, under Dr. Harris Busch and was later appointed to a faculty position from 1971 to 1975. He then was a member of the Chemistry Department at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va., where he continued his research from 1975 to 1982.

He is survived by his wife, Bonnie Crabtree Sitz, of Blacksburg; daughter and son-in-law, Molly Sitz Moore and husband, Rear Admiral Scott P. Moore, of Virginia Beach; sisters, Lucy Aginiga, of Chula Vista, Calif., Margaret Cullifer, of Hatteras, N.C.; brother, John Sitz, of Ocracoke, N.C.; and grandchildren, Rachel Laughlin Moore, Sarah Buckley Moore, Thomas Dewey Moore IV.

The family wishes to thank Dr. Harry McCoy, Dr. David Stoeckle, Dr. Alex Tan, Dr. Edwin Wilder, the nurses and staff at Montgomery Regional Hospital as well as family, friends, and the Issac Walton League for their care and support.

Memorial Services will be conducted 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 2, 2010, in the Blacksburg United Methodist Church with the Reverend Reggie Tuck officiating. The family will receive friends from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday evening, October 1, 2010, at the McCoy Funeral Home, 150 Country Club Drive, SW, Blacksburg, Va., 540-552-3211.