Jean H. Futrell, born October 20, 1933, in Dry Prong, Louisiana, to Homer E. and Catherine (Padgett) Futrell, passed away on Wednesday, November 13, 2024, in Kadlec Regional Medical Center, Richland, Washington. He is survived by his wife Anne Krohn Graham, daughter Alison Futrell, stepdaughter Tracy Anne Wenzinger, grandson Nathan Futrell, and step-granddaughters Zara and Tiffany Wenzinger, and Helen Wang, granddaughter of the heart. He is predeceased by his son, Craig Futrell, and former wife, Earlene W. Futrell.

Jean led a vigorous life. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Louisiana Tech University in 1955 and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1958. He is considered a founder of modern mass spectrometry and is among the most accomplished scientists in the field; one of his most notable achievements is the invention of the tandem mass spectrometer. He served as President of the American Society of Mass Spectrometry, has received numerous awards, and was elected a Fellow of the American Chemical Society in 2009 for his research accomplishments and for service to the discipline of chemistry. He was also an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Physical Society, and the World Innovation Foundation.

Jean began his professional career in the Aerospace Laboratory at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base outside Dayton, Ohio. Several years later he accepted an appointment as Professor of Chemistry at the University of Utah. He continued his academic career at the University of Delaware as Head of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Willis F. Harrington Professor of Physical and Analytical Chemistry. Always excited to take on new challenges, Jean moved to Richland, Washington in 1998 to become Director of the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory at the US Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. After retiring in 2013, he remained active for the rest of his life. Jean has left a lasting impact as a good friend, an inspiring colleague, and a supportive mentor, a dynamic connection for colleagues and students across the world, and a loving and uplifting father/ father figure for loved ones. He will be missed by his family, friends, former students and colleagues.