George Dubes Sr., Ph.D., 79, of Omaha, died Nov. 13 at Immanuel Hospital after complications from two strokes.
Dr. Dubes joined the faculty of the former Department of Medical Microbiology at the University of Nebraska’s College of Medicine in 1964. He taught microbiology until his retirement from UNMC in the mid-1990s.
“I had the opportunity to participate in teaching with him for a number of years,” said Peter Iwen, Ph.D., an associate professor in pathology and microbiology at UNMC and associate director of the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory. “I found Dr. Dubes to be an extremely intelligent individual, very personable, and always willing to give me a helping hand when asked,” he said.
Dr. Dubes dedicated his career at UNMC to studying the mechanisms involved in the ability of asbestos to cause cancer, Dr. Iwen said. “It is interesting to me that he was ahead of his time in this area,” he said. “He began his research in this area long before the association of asbestos with cancer became such a well-known fact.”
Dr. Dubes, a native of Sioux City, Iowa, served two years in the Philippines during World War II. In 1948, he received his bachelor’s degree in biology from Iowa State University and, in 1953, a doctorate from the California Institute of Technology.
Dr. Dubes briefly worked at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore researching the genetics of polio. He continued his research at the University of Kansas Medical Center for 10 years before coming to Nebraska.
He is survived by his wife Margaret Dubes of Omaha, sons, Rick Dubes, Ken Dubes and Keith Dubes, all of Omaha; David Dubes of Denver; daughters Deanna Pugel of Overland Park, Kan., and Debbie Reiss of Omaha; and three grandchildren.