Richard V. Wolfenden ’56

Richard died Oct. 22, 2025, in Chapel Hill, N.C.  

Born in Great Britain, Richard came to Princeton via Phillips Exeter, joined Campus Club, majored in chemistry, and was a major participant in Triangle Club and Theatre Intime. He was a tennis and squash player and a feared pool opponent. Another B.S. and a M.S. from Oxford followed, crowned by a Ph.D. from Rockefeller University in 1964.  

He initially returned to Princeton to teach, but in 1970 joined the faculty of the University of North Carolina, becoming a full professor in 1973, where he pursued a distinguished career in biochemistry in the medical school. He was elected a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2002.  

Richard’s gentle manner, genuine kindness, and endless curiosity are fondly remembered by family and friends as well as the colleagues and students who collaborated with him over his long and productive career. They attest to his clarity of purpose and the sparkle of his mind.  

Predeceased by his son John, Richard is survived by his wife of more than 60 years, Anita; son Peter; and grandchildren Shea, Maeve, Giovanna, and Corrado.