JAMES V. CHAMBERS, 76, of Fort Wayne, passed away on October 10, at home.

Born March 12, 1935, in Pekin, Illinois, he was the son of the late Hurshel Owan Chambers and Clela (Stoops, Chambers) Brown.

In 1953, he graduated from high school in Bedford, Ohio, and was inducted into the 2005 Bedford High School Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1953 to 1958 and was ranked 2nd Class Petty Officer as a Hospital Corpsman. From The Ohio State University, he earned a BS degree in Medical Microbiology, an MS in Dairy Technology, and a PhD in Food Science and Nutrition. During his career, he served as Corporate Microbiologist, Ross Laboratories, Division of Abbott Laboratories; Director, Foods, Dairies and Drugs Laboratory, Ohio Department of Agriculture; and Assistant Professor of Food Science, University of Wisconsin at River Falls. In 1974, he joined Purdue University, West Lafayette. He retired in 2000, as Professor and Extension Food Scientist. During his Purdue tenure, he and three colleagues were granted a U.S. Patent for a whey lick block for feeding supplements to ruminant animals. He was involved with international outreach programs in Taiwan, Indonesia, Guatemala, Honduras, Poland, Morocco, and Jordan on food quality, and delivered Better Process Control Schools at Purdue and at food companies nationally and internationally, including Thailand and Sweden. He authored numerous publications and served in the public sector on many advisory committees dealing with milk quality. He was a consultant for food companies on wastewater treatment and unit operation management. In 1998 he testified before the U.S. Congressional Committee on International Affairs on food safety issues impacting U.S. trade relations with the European Union. Included among his list of professional memberships were the Institute of Food Technologists (elected Fellow in 1994) and the American Dairy Science Association (received the Alpha Laval Award in 1992). He was a member of Taylor Chapel United Methodist Church. His lifelong goal was to leave this world a better place than when he entered it.

He is survived by his wife of 20 years, Midge (Blinn, Merritts) Chambers; a daughter, Deborah E. Chambers, Brooklyn, New York; step-daughters Polly M. (Jacob) Bonilla of Spring, Texas; Melinda S. (Richard) Cope of Stevenson Ranch, California; Nancy A. (Joseph) Wever of Indianapolis; Kathy E. (Bradley) Bakle of Fort Wayne; a brother, John E. Chambers of Arlington, Virginia; and 11 step-grandchildren.

His hobbies included travel, genealogy, and videography.

Funeral service is Saturday, October 15, at 2:00 PM, at Taylor Chapel United Methodist Church, 10145 Maysville Rd, with calling one hour prior. Calling also from 5 to 8 PM, Friday, at D. O. McComb & Sons Maplewood Park, 4017, Maplecrest Road, Ft. Wayne, IN 46815.

Burial will be in Montgomery Cemetery, Oakland City, Indiana.