Leonard I. Grossweiner, 77, a photobiologist and biophysicist who advanced the use of light in the treatment of cancer and other diseases, died of heart failure Sunday, Sept. 23, in Highland Park Hospital.
The New York native had an affinity for science early on. He received his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the City College of New York. He took a three-year break from his studies during World War II to serve on an Army airbase in Suriname, said his wife of 50 years, the former Bess Tornheim.
After the war, he worked for 10 years at Argonne National Laboratory while he received his master’s and doctoral degrees in physics at the Illinois Institute of Technology. In 1957, he was hired by the school as an associate professor of physics. He later was promoted to full professorship and served for 10 years as chairman of the physics department, his wife said.
Over the years, he became interested in the nature of light and its effect on living matter, and he began to delve into the field of photobiology, she said.
His research was instrumental in the use of dyes to kill cancerous cells when subjected to light, and he wrote the only existing textbook designed to teach physicians how to use phototherapy, said James Longworth, an associate professor of physics at IIT.
He was a founding member and past president of the American Society for Photobiology and until his death was research director at Ravenswood Hospital Medical Center’s Wenske Laser Center.
His wife said he loved history, sports and music, and watched the cable TV show “The Sopranos” religiously.
Other survivors include two sons, Eric and Dr. James Grossweiner; a daughter, Karen; and four grandchildren. Services have been held.
