David A Schiraldi

David “Dave” Schiraldi was born in Cherry Point, North Carolina, to Anthony and Carol Schiraldi in 1956. His world travels began at the age of six months when Anthony was stationed in the territory of Hawaii. While he lived in many places as a child, his home was San Diego, California.

Dave knew from the age of seven that he wanted to be a chemist. His parents happily helped his career plans, giving him a chemistry set as a Christmas gift. It is amazing what chemicals you could buy in those days, and no one was overly worried about his occasional lack of arm hair or eyebrows due to small explosions from experiments. Dave graduated from the U.C. San Diego with a B.A. in Chemistry before enrolling at the University of Oregon. After his first year in Oregon, he returned to San Diego and married Jane (Morocz), his high school sweetheart. It was the start of a 46-year marriage.

After receiving a Ph.D. in Chemistry, Dave began working for Celanese Chemical company in Corpus Christi, Texas. After a few years, he transferred to Charlotte, North Carolina, where sons Andrew and Peter were born. Celanese was acquired by a German company, Hoechst, and Dave's travels took off. He spent years travelling the United States, Canada, Europe… even Siberia. "Have test tube, will travel” became his motto, replacing "if it explodes, it can't be all bad!" Dave enjoyed inventing new polymers to meet the needs of industry and ultimately held 37 patents across his career.

Dave also enjoyed engaging with students and helping to prepare the next generation of scientists. He hired interns from Georgia Tech and supported programs to enroll and support students who were historically excluded from STEM fields. Over time, Dave came to the realization that working with students was the most enjoyable part of his work. In 2002, he became a professor of macromolecular science and engineering at Case Western Reserve University. During his time as professor and, ultimately, chair of the department, the undergraduate program rebuilt from a handful of students to nearly a hundred. Dave was an advocate for undergraduate research, taught general education classes about beer brewing and the chemistry of chocolate, and advised graduate students from around the world. Dave was the author of nearly 300 peer-reviewed papers and a Fellow of the American Chemical Society.

Dave was especially proud of his work with the Envoys Program at Case School of Engineering, which provided tutoring and research opportunities for high school students from Cleveland and East Cleveland public schools. Students from the Envoys Program went on to attend and earn degrees from colleges and universities, with some even receiving full scholarships to CWRU.

Dave became an emeritus professor in 2020. He remained active in the Case community, often attending departmental seminars, teaching wine classes, and doing woodworking at Sears think[box]. He loved hiking in the Metroparks with the Cleveland Hiking Club where he made many, many good friends while completing over 7,700 miles with the Club. Dave loved his grandchildren endlessly, spending a great deal of time with them in imaginative play. He died at home on July 13, 2025, with loving family at his side. He is survived by his wife, Jane; sons Andrew (Meghan) and Peter (Rachel); grandchildren Mary, Rose, and Anthony; and by his mother, Carol.

Memorial Visitation August 9, 2025, from 1:00-3:00 p.m. at THE FIORITTO FUNERAL HOME, 5236 MAYFIELD RD, LYNDHURST (E OF RICHMOND RD). The final 30 minutes will be broadcast on the Fioritto Funeral Service Facebook page.

There will also be a six-mile memorial hike on Saturday, September 27 at 9:00 a.m. in North Chagrin Reservation. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Envoys Program in his memory.

In lieu of flowers, we kindly ask that friends and family consider making a gift to the Envoys Program at the Case School of Engineering, via the Case Alumni Association: https://casealumni.org/give/

On the online form, please select the Envoys program, and note that you would like to dedicate your gift in memory of Dr. David Schiraldi.