Dr. Michael L. Hochberg, age 79, a resident of New Hartford, passed away in his home on Thursday, March 25, 2021. He was preceded in death by his parents, Paul and Ann (Fromhoff) Hochberg, and his beloved wife, Valorie (Whalen) Hochberg. He is survived by daughters, Melissa (Christopher) Haubner and Melanie (Matthew) Hochberg Giger; grandchildren, Mary-Katherine and Dylan Haubner and Lia and Silas Hochberg Giger; sister, Marcia Hochberg; and brother, Nelson (Jane) Hochberg; and many adored nieces and nephews. Michael was raised and attended high school in Chicago, Illinois. After serving in the U.S. Army, attaining a rank of First Lieutenant, he earned his PhD in Cell Biology from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. In 1974, Michael became a member of the faculty of SUNY Polytechnic, where he continued to teach for forty-seven years. He was an exceptionally dedicated professor throughout his tenure and touched the lives of countless students. He took great pride in his students' successes, particularly when he encountered nurses who were former students. Michael thoroughly enjoyed the outdoors - skiing and hiking being his favorite past times. He cherished time with family, walks with friends, and long conversations with everyone. The funeral will be held at Mark C. Bentz Funeral Service, Inc., 13 Oxford Road, New Hartford on Tuesday, March 30 at 11 am, with Cantor Kalman Socolof officiating. Due to COVID restrictions, only family members will be invited to attend in person. Others who wish to participate remotely may do so at https://www.facebook.com/markcbentzfuneralservice In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the SUNY Poly Foundation in Michael's name to establish a scholarship in his memory, so that his dedication to education in the sciences can live on. Contributions can be submitted online at https://form.jotform.com/80985473070159 (by directing the donation toward "Other" and adding his name) or by check made payable to SUNY Polytechnic Foundation, 100 Seymour Rd., Utica, NY 13502.