The Washington Post - 21.10.2019

MONDAY, OCTOBER 21 , 2019. THE WASHINGTON POST EZ RE B7

BY EMILY LANGER

Robert R. Provine, a neurosci-
entist who brought scientific rig-
or to the study of laughter, yawns,
hiccups and other universal hu-
man behaviors that had previous-
ly gone largely unexplored, died
Oct. 17 at a hospital in Baltimore.
He was 76.
The cause was complications
from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma,
said his wife, Helen Weems. Dr.
Provine had spent four decades as
a psychology professor at the Uni-
versity of Maryland at Baltimore
County before his retirement in

He continued to teach at the
university in recent years as a
professor emeritus.
Dr. Provine embodied the spirit
of the popular scientist, one who
takes his or her pursuits out of the
laboratory and into the public
square, from university libraries
to public libraries, and from lec-
ture halls to radio and television.
He was the author of two books
for popular audiences, “Laughter:
A Scientific Investigation” (2000)
and “Curious Behavior: Yawning,
Laughing, Hiccupping, and Be-
yond” (2012). The publication
New Scientist described him as
“the man behind the first re-
search into what really makes
people laugh,” an endeavor that
encompassed developmental and
behavioral psychology, neurosci-
ence and theories of evolution.
“Laughter is part of this univer-
sal human vocabulary,” Dr.
Provine once told NPR. “Everyone
speaks this language. Just as birds
of a given species all sing their
species’ typical song, laughter is
part of our own human song.”
He was drawn to the study of
laughter, among other behavioral
phenomena, in part because he
had grown lonely in the labora-
tory, where he devoted the early
years of his career to the study of
nerve cells.
“I was getting tired of putting
electrodes in nerve cells in a win-
dowless room for six- or eight-
hour days,” he told the Boston
Globe in 2012. “But I was also
interested in examining human
behaviors using the same kind of
rigorous procedures.”
Those procedures, at first, in-
cluded inviting study partici-
pants to sit in a lab and watch
episodes of “Saturday Night Live”
or bits by comedians Rodney
Dangerfield, George Carlin and
Joan Rivers. The setting proved
unconducive to laughter, howev-
er, and forced Dr. Provine and his
colleagues to change course.
In what he described as “the
spirit of Jane Goodall heading out
to Gombe Stream Preserve to
study chimpanzees,” he set out on
an “urban safari” to observe peo-
ple laughing in shopping malls
and on the street. On one occa-
sion, he wrote, a “large and ag-
gressive woman” mistook him for
a store detective.
With help from assistant re-
searchers, he observed 1,200 ex-
amples of laughter. The team de-
camped for the acoustic labora-
tory at the National Zoo in Wash-
ington, where they studied
recordings of laughter on equip-
ment designed to analyze bird
calls. From this research, Dr.
Provine drew a number of conclu-
sions.
Most fundamental was the ob-
servation that laughter usually
comes in response not to uproari-
ous humor, but rather to dialogue
that he compared to an “intermi-
nable television situation comedy
scripted by an extremely ungifted
writer.”
Some laughter might reward a
knee-slapping joke, but he found
that it serves more often to estab-
lish or strengthen bonds between
a speaker and the person or peo-
ple listening. Laughter can be
used unkindly, too, to wound or to
exclude someone from a group. In
other situations, a person may
laugh at jokes made by a superior
to acknowledge that person’s au-

thority. Outside the confines of a comedy club, people who are speaking tend to laugh more than their interlocutors. Women, Dr. Provine found, laugh more at men than men laugh at women. Only when a man was speaking to a woman did the person listening laugh more than the person speaking. He described laughter as an “honest social signal because it’s hard to fake.” “We’re dealing with something powerful, ancient and crude,” he once told the New York Times. “It’s a kind of behavioral fossil showing the roots that all human beings, maybe all mammals, have in common.” Dr. Provine’s book “Curious Be- havior” examined other behav-

iors humans (and many animals) have in common, including cry- ing, tearing up in emotion, sneez- ing and belching. His study of yawning revealed that all verte- brates, including fish, yawn; that yawns often come during mo- ments of transition, not only when one falls asleep or wakes up, but also when one is cold and becomes warm; and, perhaps counterintuitively, that yawns can often accompany excitement. Paratroopers, he discovered, yawn before making a leap. “With its many facts and anec- dotes and unexpected stories, [the volume] begs you to continue where curiosity leads you, down both the boulevards and the back alleys of science,” reviewer James Gorman wrote in the National Post of Canada. “And that is exact- ly how he thinks science should be pursued. ‘You follow the trail wherever it goes,’ he said.” Robert Raymond Provine was born in Tulsa on May 11, 1943. His father was a chemist, and his mother was a homemaker. As a high school student, Dr. Provine built telescopes, an endeavor that attracted coverage in local news- papers — his first foray into popular science. He studied psychology at Okla- homa State University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in 1965, and at Washington Univer- sity in St. Louis, where he received a PhD in 1971. His graduate school advisers included the em- bryologist Viktor Hamburger and Rita Levi-Montalcini, a Nobel Prize-winning neuroscientist Dr. Provine’s first marriage, to Helene “Vivi” Vona, ended in di- vorce. Survivors include his wife of 23 years, Helen Weems of Co- lumbia, Md.; two children from his first marriage, Kimberly Lou- renco of Olney, Md., and Robert W. Provine of West Hollywood, Calif.; and three grandchildren. A reporter for The Washington Post once asked Dr. Provine about the reaction he received from din- ner party guests when he told them the subjects of his scientific inquiry. “Everyone always seems interested,” he said. “Then they ask if I am observing them.” If he wasn’t, he added, he “wouldn’t be a good scientist.” “I think the only way to be successful, whether you are doing science or running a restaurant, is that you have to be totally engaged in what you’re doing,” Dr. Provine said. “You can’t turn it on and off.” [email protected]

ROBERT R. PROVINE, 76

Neuroscientist studied

behavior such as yawns,

laughter and hiccups

JAY PAUL FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

Robert R. Provine spent four decades as a psychology professor at
the University of Maryland at Baltimore County before his
retirement in 2013. He later taught there as a professor emeritus.

“I think the only way to

be successful... is that

you have to be totally

engaged in what

you’re doing.” Robert R. Provine, who was a neuroscientist and professor

IN MEMORIAM

EUGENE FORD Greatly missed and much loved

FORD

DEATH NOTICE

JACQUELINE MENDELS BIRN On Sunday October 20, Jacqueline Mendels Birn of Bethesda, Mary- land. Loving wife of the late Richard Birn, Devoted mother of Daniel and Anne-Emanuelle Birn, Beloved sister of Manuela Born- stein and the late Franklin Mendels, Treasured aunt of Jack and Niel Bornstein, Jessica and Valerie Mendels, and Jennifer and Jeremy Birn, and Cherished grand- mère of Espie Krementsova. Private graveside services will be held on Wednesday October 23, 2019. Family will be observing Shiva on Wednesday October 23, 2019, starting at 3:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. at Grand Oaks Assisted Living, Commons, 5901 MacArthur Blvd., NW, Washington, DC 20016. Details about forth- coming Memorial Service to be posted on: jacquelinemendelsbirn.com Contributions may be made to the US Holo- caust Memorial Museum at: ushmm.org/support/ways-to-give

BIRN

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DEATH NOTICE

ences and medicine will be felt for decades to come. As Chairman and CEO of numerous companies, he encouraged his employees to remember that the chief goal was to "do well by doing good” -- a simple credo that exemplified his unwavering devotion to excellence. Most recently he was Chairman, co-founder and CEO of DisposeRx, a company created to mitigate deaths from opioid abuse. That work led him to testify before Congress about prescription drug abuse last year, and to be invited to the White House when the President signed the Opioid Crisis Response Act into law. John Holaday was a humanitarian and one of this nation’s most accomplished entrepre- neurs--amanwhomotivated the people around him with his passion to make a difference. In one memorable circumstance, he had t-shirts made for his team bearing the Margaret Mead quote, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” He was a visionary who served as a mentor to hundreds of scientists and executives – committed citizens – who will now carry on John’s legacy of passion and innovation in their own critical work to make a difference in the lives of others. Family and friends are invited to gather at Gawler’s Funeral Home, 5130 Wisconsin Ave, NW, Washington, DC, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on October 29. A memorial service will be held on October 30 at 10 a.m. at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in John’s memory to the Davis Direction Foundation via mail at 32 N Fair- ground St. NE., Marietta, GA 30060 or online at http://www.davisdirection.com/support-us.

JOHN WALDRON HOLADAY PhD, FACNP, FCCM Born June 9, 1945, John Holaday was a rare combination of many things -- a business man with the heart of a philanthropist; an activist; a man of deep passion and com- passion; a scientist; a US Army Captain; a university professor; an entrepreneur; a founder and CEO of three public companies; a holder of over 80 patents; an acclaimed author of more than 230 articles and five books; a father; a husband; and a tireless champion of the underdog. When most people looked away, John Hola- day looked ahead. Over the course of his career, he envisioned and brought to life products and therapies that directly lessened the suffering of hundreds of thousands of people. His tragic death as an innocent victim of gun violence on October 4, 2019 marked the untimely end of a life that still had so much to give to so many. John is survived by his loving wife of 27 years, Dori; their two sons, Sean and Jackson; his sister, Delaney Holaday Brandhorst; and many nieces and nephews. The positive and life-changing impact of John Holaday’s many contributions across the sci-

HOLADAY

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DEATH NOTICE

CONSTANCE BOUCHER "Connie" (Age 90) Of Front Royal, Virginia, formerly of Fairfax, Virginia, passed on to eternal life on Friday, October 18, 2019 at her home. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, October 24, 2019 at 11 a.m. at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Front Royal with Father Phillip Cozzi officiating. Burial will follow in Prospect Hill Cemetery. Mrs. Boucher was born on June 29, 1929 in Concord, New Hampshire to the late George and Mary Reardon Long. She was also preced- ed in death by her cherished husband, Pierre C. Boucher; daughter-in-law, Goyena Boucher; two sisters, Mary Nadeau and Anne Murphy and two brothers, George and Jim Long. She was a dedicated member of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church. She participated actively in the Legion of Mary,was a Eucharistic Minister, loved taking Communion to the nurs- ing home,and volunteered with the Front Royal Crisis Pregnancy Center. In her earlier years, she worked as a nurse at Fairfax Hospital, and bred, raised, and sold golden retrievers. All her life, she was an active member of the Catholic Church, to which she was devoted. Her favorite expression was “faith, family, and friends.” Survivors include her five sons, Pete (Krista) Boucher of Midlothian, Virginia, Tim (Millie) Boucher of Cornwall-on- Hudson, New York, Rob Boucher of Front Royal, Vince Boucher of Owings, Maryland and Bill (Marina) Boucher of Roanoke, Virginia; daughter, Maryann (Gary) Grimes of Wake Forest, North Carolina; 14 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren. The family will receive friends on Wednesday, October 23, 2019 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Maddox Funeral Home, 105 West Main Street, Front Royal. Condolences may be sent to the family at http://www.maddoxfuneralhome.com. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made online in Connie’s memory to the Front Royal Pregnancy Center.

BOUCHER

JANE HURLEY CHARRIER PHILLIPS (Age 93) Passed away peacefully the evening of Satur- day, October 5, 2019 at her home in the Fox Hill Senior Condominiums. She was born January 1, 1926 in Washington, DC to the late Herbert E. Hurley and Dorothy M. Hurley. Jane graduated from George Washington University where she met her husband, James W. Charrier, who passed in 1984. They were married at All Saints Episcopal Church on June 14, 1946 and had four children, J. William Charrier of Potomac, Maryland, Steven C. Charrier (who predeceased her in 2014),J.Michael Charrier of Lafayette, California and Bette Charrier Crock- ett of Bethesda, Maryland. She is survived by her three children, her daughter-in-law Anne Stovall Charrier, eight grand-daughters, fourteen great grand-children and her second husband, Charles V. Phillips, Jr., from whom she was separated. As a longtime member of Columbia Country Club she was an active golfer. She enjoyed travel, playing bridge and studying the stock market. More recently she enjoyed the fellowship of her many friends in the Fox Hill community. A funeral service and celebration of her life will be held at Saint Francis Episcopal Church in Potomac, Maryland on Saturday, November 16 at 2 p.m. with Father Mark Michael officiating. A reception to follow at Fox Hill, 8300 Burdette Road, Bethesda, MD. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Ivy- mount Foundation, 11614 Seven Locks Road, Rockville, MD 20854 for Ivymount School’s Charrier Media Center. Donations can be made online at http://www.ivymount.org/support.

CHARRIER PHILLIPS

DEATH NOTICE

RANSOM HARRISON, JR. Departed this life on October 16, 2019. He is survived by his children Rachel Harrison, Maxine Harrison, Nadine Harrison and Ian Bryant; grandchildren Davon, Deion, DeAngelo and Elijah; sister Judette Harrison; brother Lester Harrison, Isaac Harrison and Theodore Harrison; and a host of other relatives and friends. Family will receive friends on Wednes- day, October 23, 2019 from 1 p.m. until time of service 2 p.m. at Stewart Funeral Home, 4001 Benning Road, NE. Interment South Carolina. http://www.StewartFuneralHome.com

HARRISON

CLARKIE C. KINARD, JR. On Wednesday, October 16, 2019 81 year old Clarkie C. Kinard, Jr. retired government printing office employee and Korean war vet died of health complications. Clarkie's family will have a memorial service for him on Wednesday, October 23, 2019 at Pope Funeral Home, 5538 Marlboro Pike Forestville, MD

In lieu of flowers donations may be
made to the American Cancer Society.

KINARD

FLOSSIE F. MALACHI Surrounded by her family entered into eternal peace on Monday, October 14, 2019. She is survived by her daughters, Deborah B. Malachi and Billye D. Morrison; granddaughters, Teresa Morrison, Stephanie Thomas, Alexis Morrison and Jillian Morrison; and a host of family and friends. Family will receive friends on Wednesday,October23,2019.Viewing12:30 p.m., service 1:30 p.m. Interment and repast immediately following all at Ft. Lincoln Funeral Home and Cemetery, 3401 Bladensburg Rd., Brentwood, MD 20722. Donations may be made in her honor to Capital Caring Health, http://www.capitalcaring.org.

MALACHI

ERNEST E. SMITH, JR. "Turk" On October 8, 2019, Ernest “Turk” Smith passed away at his home in Washington, DC. Turk was born on September 8, 1932 in Washington, DC to the late Ernest and Willie Marie Smith. He served honorably in the United States Navy and the U.S. Government as a Deputy United States Marshal. He is survived by his daughter, Tanya C. Smith; his son-in- law, Roman A. Smith; his adorable grandsons, Xavier and Zuri; his brothers Walter Smith (Yvonne) and Charles “Donnie” Smith (Carolyn); and numerous nieces, nephews, and friends. Funeral Arrangements: Wednesday, October 23, 2019 at Stewart Funeral Home, 4001 Ben- ning Road, NE, Washington, DC. Visitation with family 10 a.m.; funeral service at 11 a.m. Interment will immediately follow the service at Fort Lincoln Cemetery, 3401 Bladensburg Road, Brentwood, MD.

SMITH

DEATH NOTICE

JEFFREY D. BRENNAN (Age 73) Of Williamsburg, Virginia, passed away on Tuesday, October 15, 2019, at home surrounded by family after a yearlong battle with cancer. Born March 4, 1946, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, to the late Thomas W. Brennan, Jr., and Shirley Mae Johnson Brennan. Surviving is his wife, Nancy, of Williamsburg; a son, Todd and his wife, Denise, from McDonough, GA, and a daughter, Christina and her husband, Mike, from Columbus, Ohio; four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren, as well as many friends. Arrangements in Williamsburg made by Nelsen Funeral Home, where there will be a visitation on Sunday, October 20, at 1 p.m., with a service at 2 p.m., followed by burial at Williamsburg Memorial Park Cemetery. The online memorial can be found at https://tinyurl.com/brennanj.

BRENNAN

EDWARD NOBLE JOHNSON Edward "Eddie Quack" Noble Johnson, age 75, died peacefully surrounded by his family on Saturday, October 12, 2019. He was a native Washingtonian, United States Army Veteran, and dedicated husband. He is survived by his devoted wife, Valerie Denise Johnson; two daughters, Danielle Monique Steele Johnson and Dareria Shanea Marie Johnson; three grandchildren, Kye Johnson, Kameron Johnson and Kymaria Johnson; sister, Barbara Gayle Maginley; and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. He was predeceased by his father, Oscar Bernard Johnson; mother, Ruth Ellen Steele; and brother, Charles Oscar Johnson. A celebration of his life will be held on Wednesday, October 23, 2019 at Clifton Park Baptist Church, 8818 Piney Branch Rd., Silver Spring, MD 20903. Visitation: 10 a.m., Service: 11 a.m. Interment on Tuesday, October 29, 2019, 11 a.m., at Cheltenham Veterans Cemetery, 11301 Crain Hwy., Cheltenham, MD 20623. http://www.mcguire-services.com

JOHNSON

DEATH NOTICE

AUDREY M. MOTEN Departed this life on Sunday, October 13,

She leaves to cherish her memories her
daughter, Michelle Moten; and a host of other
relatives and friends. Friends may visit with
the family on Tuesday, October 22, 2019 at
Mt. Sinai Baptist Church, 1615 3rd Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001 from 10 a.m. until time
of funeral services at 12 p.m. Interment: Fort
Lincoln Cemetery. Flowers may be ordered and
condolences may be expressed at
http://www.jkjohnsonfuneralhome.com

MOTEN

CARROLL J. NEWTON Departed this life on October 11, 2019. Pro- ceeded in death by her mother Virginian Flood and grandson Marc, Jr. She is survived by her father James Flood; daughter Camille Bethea (Marc); grandchildren Alexis, Cali and Robert; sister Karen Parks; and a host of other relatives and friends. Family will receive friends on Wednesday, October 23, 2019 from 10 a.m. until time of memorial service 11 a.m. at Wood- stream Church, 9800 Lottsford Road, Bowie Maryland. http://www.StewartFuneralHome.com

NEWTON

EDWARD JARRIN SNYDER (Age 86) On Friday, October 18, 2019, of Bethesda, MD. Beloved husband of Anne W. Snyder; father of Meg Sny- der Thompson (Brian) and Cara Sny- der McVie (Graeme); grandfather of Elizabeth, Carolyn, and Mary Cullen Thompson, Campbell, Lachlan, and Iain McVie. Born and raised in Washington, Edward graduated from Gonzaga College High School, Catholic University, and The George Washing- ton University Law School. A devoted public servant, Edward served in the U.S. Navy as a Lieutenant Junior Grade for three years and then as an attorney and Section Chief in theTax Division of the Department of Justice for almost 40 years. With his wife Anne, Edward was a longtime resident of Bethesda, parishioner of Little Flower Parish, and loyal supporter of Gonzaga and Georgetown Visitation. A gifted artist, Edward loved the museums and archi- tecture of his native Washington and is remem- bered for his beautiful watercolors and oils of local landscapes. Relatives and friends may call at the Church of the Little Flower, 5601 Massachusetts Avenue, Bethesda, MD on Thursday, October 24 from 6 to 8 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial at the Church of the Little Flower on Friday, October 25 at 12 noon. Interment at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made to Gonzaga College High School. http://www.COLLINSFUNERALHOME.com

SNYDER

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The Washington Post - 21.10.2019

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