John Moulder

John Edward Moulder was born May 10, 1945, to James and Della Moulder in Chicago, IL. Growing up on the South Side and attending public schools there didn’t provide any great intellectual challenges, nor did his final years of high school at Rich East Township HS in Park Forest. Despite that, he graduated with honors and headed west to Carleton College in Northfield, MN. There he focused on science, completing a double major with honors in Biology and Chemistry, and graduating in June 1967. On graduation day he married his college sweetheart, Ines Loustau. They headed east to New Haven where John earned a PhD in cell biology. John and Ines divorced but have remained friends.

John accepted an appointment at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, where he was to remain for 35 years in various roles—teacher, researcher, director of the Center for Medical Countermeasures against Radiological Terrorism. His research on mitigating late radiation injury to kidneys and lungs means that it is no longer an inevitable sequel to radiation treatment of cancer. For twenty years John also served as an editor of the journal Radiation Research. He also served as a mentor to both students and younger colleagues throughout his career. John was a natural teacher, role model, and was generous with his time and knowledge. During this time John married his long-time companion, Joan Dimow.

John enjoyed endurance sports in his free time. He participated in cross-country ski marathons because his knees couldn’t handle foot races after a time. He also participated in distance bicycle racing, eventually becoming the sixth American to complete the grueling 72 hour bicycle event, Paris—Brest—Paris, in France in the mid -1980s. John and Joan also enjoyed exploring Arctic areas with National Geographic tours until Joan developed dementia and descended into the isolation of that state. Later John turned his love of these sports into opportunities to introduce youth to them. He taught elementary school students to ride bikes in Minneapolis and accompanied others on dog sledding trips in the Boundary Waters.

John retired in 2016 and moved to Minneapolis to be with an old college friend, Ann (Liisa) Jalonen. He died unexpectedly July 17. 2022. John was preceded in death by his parents and sisters Linda and Carol. He is survived by his sister Susan Perlman (Scott) of Libertyville IL, several nieces and nephews, the extended Jalonen family and numerous colleagues and friends.

A Memorial Service is planned for 2:00 PM, Saturday, August 6, 2022, at Christ Lutheran on Capitol Hill, 105 University Ave W, Saint Paul, MN 55104.

Memorials may be sent to the church in John’s name in lieu of flowers.

Arrangements by National Cremation Society.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.nationalcremation.com/location/richfield for the Moulder family.