Dr. Eugene Madsen

Dr. Eugene Madsen died August 9, 2017. He leaves immediate and extended family members and colleagues to whom he was devoted and who very much miss him. He leaves many memories about his personality, his habits, his brilliance as a scientist, his curiosity about the world and his love of all things family.
Eugene was born to Donald and Margaret Lewis Madsen on February 24, 1953 in Oakland, California. He became part of the Ithaca and Cornell community when he began graduate studies at Cornell in 1979, completing his MS in 1981 and PhD in 1985. In 1989 he became a faculty member of Cornell's Department of Microbiology.
He loved his work but loved his life beyond work even more, especially his family, music and exercise. He was in tremendous physical shape and able to make difficult gymnastic routines look easy. One of his accomplishments in the months prior to his death was performing a giant on the high bar-a very impressive complete circle, fully extended, around the bar.
Eugene played trumpet for students in his classes, for the community as part of the Ithaca Concert Band, with friends in Friday night quartets, for opening ceremonies at Cornell's gymnastic meets and for many family functions.
Every aspect of life aroused Eugene's curiosity, and nothing was too trivial to attract his attention. He was self-disciplined and quite proud of the lack of waste in his life. However, he was humble about his accomplishments as an academic, which include writing a widely used text book based on a course that he taught for many years titled "Environmental Microbiology: from Genomes to Biogeochemistry." Going forward, students using the book will not have the opportunity to appreciate what it was like to have him as a professor, with lectures that included his trumpet music and a very energetic delivery. Eugene also published a book of unique cartoons, which often involved specks of dust in vast western landscapes having deep conversations that always ended with a pun. The book was a compilation of the cards he sent each year with best wishes for a great New Year to all who received them.
Eugene trained many graduate and post-doctoral students as a kind and caring mentor. Former students are faculty members and researchers in universities throughout the world and are his academic legacy. His daughters were the students that he valued most. He taught them what they needed to know about the world by example and with tremendous love.
Jane Walker (wife), Cecelia and Sidney Madsen (daughters), Peter Renz (brother), Jane Madsen (sister), numerous nieces and nephews, and the Walker family survive Eugene.
The best thing that you can do in memory of Eugene is to appreciate those you love. The next best thing you can do is to make a donation to Cornell University with a note directing it to the Eugene Madsen Fund for WGYM (Women's Gymnastics Team). Please address envelopes to:

Big Red Athletics
Cornell University
Teagle Hall
ATTN: John Webster
Alumni Affairs and Development
Ithaca, NY 14853-6501

A memorial service open to friends, family and colleagues will be held October 15 at 2 pm in Stocking Hall Conference Center, Cornell University.
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