COLUMBUS, OH – John Mac Cassady, 83, passed away Wednesday, September 29, 2021, at Riverside Methodist Hospital.

He was born in Vincennes, Indiana on August 16, 1938, to Theodore and Juanita (McDowell) Cassady. He married Nancy Lee Earls on September 5, 1959, in Springfield, Illinois.

John earned his B.A. degree in chemistry from DePauw University, where he was named a Rector Scholar, and was a pitcher on the baseball team. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in organic chemistry from Case Western Reserve University. He was a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Wisconsin, and began his academic career in 1966 at Purdue University, where he chaired the Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy and was appointed as the Glenn L. Jenkins Distinguished Professor and Professor Emeritus. In 1988, he was appointed as the sixth dean of Ohio State College of Pharmacy, where he was named Dean Emeritus. He received an Honorary D.Sc. from DePauw University in1989 and was elected to the DePauw University, Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011. He was honored with Election to Fellowship by the American Association of Cancer Research, the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, and the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences; and was the recipient of the 1990 Research Achievement award in Natural Products Chemistry from the American Pharmacists Association. John served as President of the American Society of Pharmacognosy.

He served with Purdue University as Professor and Department Chair of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, The Ohio State University as Dean of Pharmacy and Oregon State University as Vice President of Research.

He was a member of Worthington United Methodist Church, Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity, John Purdue Club and The Ohio State University President's Club.

John was preceded in death by Nancy Lee Cassady, wife of 57 years, his parents, and brother, Richard Cassady.

He is survived by his children, Betsy Anne (Edward) Thompson, Kimberly Nelle (Gregory) Tantari, Susanna Lee (Paul) Baggeroer, John McDowell (Elizabeth) Cassady and Patricia Nancy (Stephen) Clawson; grandchildren, Elizabeth Rachel Thompson, Jonathon Edward Thompson, Sarah Nancy James, Tara Nelle Mays, Katherine Lee Allison, Anna Claire Tantari, Caroline Elizabeth Baggeroer, Emma Grace Tantari, Matthew Paul Baggeroer, John Mac Cassady II, Abigail Rose Clawson, Natalie Marie Cassady, Samuel Joseph Clawson, Lindsey Madeline Cassady, William John Clawson; great-grandchildren, Tenley Nelle Mays, Patrick William James, Mac Allen Mays, Julia Nancy James; brothers, David Joe (Susan, deceased) Cassady; Stanley Patrick (Jodine) Cassady and Thomas Allen (Melissa) Cassady; sister, Mary Elizabeth (Dennis) Kepler; and many nieces and nephews.

Visitation: 5 – 7 p.m. Wednesday, October 6, 2021, at Vancil-Murphy Funeral Home. Funeral Service: 10 a.m. Thursday, October 7, 2021, at Vancil-Murphy Funeral Home with Rev. Ben James officiating. Burial will be in Oak Ridge Cemetery.

Memorial Contributions may be made to the John M. and Nancy Lee Earls Cassady Scholarship in Pharmacy at Ohio State University.