James Dudley Winefordner died on Monday, October 6, 2025, at his home. He was born on December 31, 1931, in Geneseo, Illinois, to Carl and Marjorie Brown Winefordner. He received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Illinois in 1954, 1955, and 1958, respectively, followed by a year as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Illinois. In September 1959, he was appointed Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the University of Florida.

In September 1965, he was appointed to Full Professor, and in 1976, he was appointed Graduate
Research Professor. He was Chairman of the Analytical Division of Chemistry for over
30 years.

His research interests involved the understanding of the fundamental aspects, the development of analytical instrumentation, and the application of selective, sensitive spectroscopic methods to the analysis of trace amounts of metal, drugs, and toxic
compounds in industrial, biological, and environmental materials. He published over
900 scientific papers, 10 chapters, and 40 refereed reviews on the above topics and gave over 400 invited talks and seminars at international and national conferences and symposia and at universities, colleges, and industries. During his time at the University of Florida, 168 of his graduate students received Ph.D. degrees and 32 more received
M.S. degrees. He had more than 100 postdoctoral associates who worked with him.

He was a member of the American Chemical Society, the Society of Applied Spectroscopy, Phi Lambda Phi, Alpha Chi Sigma, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He generated over 25 million dollars in individual grant funds.

He was a member of the Advisory Board of many scientific journals, the chairman of the editorial board of Talanta and Spectrochemical Acta B, and the editor of the Chemical Analysis Book Series of John Wiley for over 30 years. He held the highest position in
the Analytical Division of the American Chemical Society and the Society of Applied Spectroscopy. He received nine prestigious awards and honors from the University of Florida, including the 1984 Teacher-Scholar of the year and 23 prestigious national/international awards. Those were the highest awards given by the Society of Applied Spectroscopy, the Pittsburgh Conference, the Eastern Analytical Symposium, and the highest analytical chemistry honors from Sweden, England and Japan.

Dr. Winefordner was a brilliant scientist. He was also a loving husband, father, and grandfather. Ever-present for his family, he was a trusted confidant, a loyal listener, and a steadfast supporter.

A master chef, his cooking skills were well known, and dinner at his home was an enjoyable event. His large collection of cookbooks shared shelf space with his many scientific writings.

An incredible puzzle master, he worked out difficult puzzles with ease. He treasured the times spent with his family at Flagler Beach, where raucous card games took place, creating much laughter and joy.

His affection for cats began early, as his wife was an avowed cat lover. He would tell you he had no choice but to love them, too. And he did. His last cat, Dudley, was rarely away from his side, and their mutual affection was evident.

The accomplishments he achieved in the world of science have left an indelible imprint on the University and his many students. An honest, modest, and caring man, he will be greatly missed.

He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Laura Whitney Winefordner, sons Philip Winefordner (Jacob Walker) of St. Petersburg, Florida, and Carl Winefordner (Mary Jo Reilly) of Laguna Beach, California, and daughter Anne Winefordner of Gainesville, and
six grandchildren: Kristen Winefordner, Austin, Texas, Ian Winefordner, Sydney, Australia, Whitney Winefordner, Laguna Beach, California, and in Gainesville: Hannah Fetko, Lex Fetko, and Tucker Fetko. He was preceded in death by his parents and
brother, John.

A celebration of life is planned for a later date.

Please make contributions to the James D. Winefordner Scholarship Fund, University of
Florida Foundation, Inc., PO Box 14425, Gainesville, FL 32604, or the Gainesville Friends Meeting, 702 NW 38 Street, Gainesville, FL 32607.