Larry Atwood, 55, in West Roxbury, MA, formerly of Dallas, TX, passed away on June 1, 2012. He was the husband of Gina (Muzzi) Atwood. He was the son of the late Thomas Wayne and Elizabeth Juanita (Hobby) Atwood of Little Rock, Arkansas, where he was born.
Larry received a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Mathematical Sciences from the University of Texas at Dallas. He obtained his doctorate in Computer Science from the University of North Texas in 1986. He then had four years of post-doctoral training in Statistical Genetics at the Louisiana State University Medical Center in New Orleans, La. His work then took him to the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical research in San Antonio, TX, and the Division of Epidemiology and Institute of Human Genetics at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. Most recently, he was a Professor at Boston University and a senior geneticist on the Framingham Heart Study, which he joined in 2001. He was co-chair of the Framingham Genetics Steering Committee, Director of the Framingham Genetics Data Management Group and Director of the Framingham Genetics Laboratory. He was also co-Director of SNP Health Association Resource (SHARe), a large project to search the entire genome for genetic variants that affect hundreds of traits that have been measured on the Framingham participants since 1948. His primary research interest was the genetics of complex diseases, especially obesity.
He will be remembered by all who knew him as a gracious, knowledgeable, and respected professional who made significant contributions in the field of statistical genetics. In addition, his family and friends will remember him for his quick mind, sense of humor, thoughtfulness, and kindness.
He is survived by his children, Margaret and Michael Drake; his granddaughter, Kayla Hendricks; his brothers, Jerry Atwood and wife, Gail of Pensacola, FL; Thomas Atwood and wife, Cathy; his sister, Lisa Davies and husband, Jack; his nephew, PFC Jordan Barnes; and, his niece, Malory Luttrell and husband, Jason.
Funeral services will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, P.O. Box 849168, Boston, MA 02284-9168 or http://www.dana-farber.org/How-to-Help.aspx