John Korzeniewski, 48, toxicologist, chemist John...

John Korzeniewski, 48, toxicologist, chemist

John Korzeniewski, a toxicologist and research chemist, died Friday of complications of progressive multiple sclerosis at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. He was 48 and lived in Dundalk.

In the 1970s, Mr. Korzeniewski was the assistant toxicologist in the Charles Town, W.Va., medical examiner's office, where he assisted in the founding of the state's forensic toxicology laboratory.

He later did chemical research for SmithKline Bio-Science Laboratories and Rhone-Poulenc Rorer in Philadelphia. He also wrote scholarly articles on chemical analysis. He retired 10 years ago.

Born in Baltimore and raised in East Baltimore, he was a graduate of Holy Rosary Parochial School and a member of the Class of 1970 at Archbishop Curley High School, where he was a member of the National Honor Society.

Mr. Korzeniewski received a degree in biology from Loyola College in 1974 and was a member of a biol- ogy honors society. He did graduate work at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, specializing in legal medicine and toxicology.

He enjoyed tennis and jogging.

A Mass of Christian burial was offered Tuesday.

He is survived by a friend, Sharon Stewart of Dundalk, and aunts Melva Stratemeyer of Perry Hall, Sophie Malenski of Baltimore and Regina Kuchta of Holiday, Fla.