William Paul Hurlbut

William Paul Hurlbut, age 96, died in his home in Denver, CO on December 9, 2024.

He was born in North Adams, MA on June 16, 1928 and attended North Adams High school. He received his BS from MIT and later his PhD in biophysics from John’s Hopkins University. While in Baltimore he met and married Helen Otillia Sins. He had a long career as a research scientist at Rockefeller University.

He and Helen lived first in New York and then in Teaneck, NJ where they raised 4 children.

He loved to travel and spend time in nature, spending many summers camping up and down the east coast with his young family and later in the Pacific northwest with his sons. He brought the family to live in Montevideo, Uruguay for 6 months on a Fulbright teaching grant, spent several summers and the final two years of his career in Milan, Italy collaborating with other scientists and traveling through Europe with Helen.

He loved music, was a choir member for many years at St Anastasia church in Teaneck and then First Universalist Church of Denver and enjoyed both the Colorado Opera and Denver Symphony.

In retirement he volunteered weekly with Habitat for Humanity, maintained a community garden and was a reading tutor at his local elementary school.

Helen passed in 2010 and three years later he moved to Denver to live with his daughter and her family. In Denver he remained active, volunteering with the Botanic Gardens and a downtown soup kitchen. 

He is survived by his children Michael Hurlbut of Lewes, Delaware, Katherine Hurlbut of Denver, Clifford Hurlbut of Oregon City, Oregon and Mary Hurlbut of New York City, his grandchildren Rebecca Stefani of Chandler, AZ, Marina Dart of Seattle, Chiara Dart of Cincinnati, Areli Dart of Fort Collins, CO and Anastasia Bolotowsky of New York City , and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife, Helen Sins Hurlbut, and his grandson Paul Hurlbut.

 A memorial service will be held at St Paul Ecumenical Catholic Church in Denver on April 5, 2025 at 4:30 pm

 Those wishing to honor his life can make a donation in his name to Habitat for Humanity