Dr. Albert Petschek,
professor emeritus of physics, Fellow of Los Alamos National
Laboratory, husband, father, grandfather, died at home Thursday morning
July 8, 2004, at the age of 76. He enjoyed good health and his death
was unexpected.
Albert had a lifelong love of the outdoors. He was an avid hiker,
mushroom gatherer, cross-country skier, gardener and bicyclist. He was
a local fixture commuting by bicycle from his home in La Senda up
Pajarito Road to the laboratory - resorting to a car only when the snow
was too deep or the rain too torrential.
Albert believed his most noteworthy accomplishment was his committed
and devoted marriage to Marilyn and the raising of their four children.
Before it became the social norm, he was actively involved in the
day-to-day raising of his children. Albert maintained his commitment to
family throughout his life, planning vacations for the family so they
could spend time enjoying each other's company while exploring a new
corner of the country or world.
Albert was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, in 1928 and immigrated to
the United States in 1938. He earned his bachelor's degree from the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, his master's degree from the
University of Michigan, and his Ph.D. from the University of Rochester.
He joined the staff of Los Alamos National Laboratory in 1953, and
the faculty of New Mexico Tech in 1966. He retired from LANL in 1987
and from NMT in 1994. He consulted at the lab until his death. His
broad-ranging analytic powers and curiosity were respected by many
professionals.
His distinguished career spanned five decades of educating
physicists and publishing scientific contributions to nuclear physics,
astrophysics, atmospheric physics, quantum mechanics and quantum
computing.
Albert is survived by his wife of 55 years, Marilyn; his brother
Harry of Lexington, Mass.; and his children, their spouses and his
grandchildren, Evelyn of Washington. D.C.; Rolfe, Jane and Iris of
Shaker Heights, Ohio; Elaine and Leonardo Valdes of Hartsdale, N.Y.;
and Mark, Paula, Michael and Colin of Bedford, Mass.
Contributions may be made to either the charity of your choice, the
Unitarian Church of Los Alamos, or to the New Mexico Tech Foundation.
Donald Richter, age 78, passed away on Oct.
8, 2004, at his home in Anchorage, Alaska, of a malignant brain tumor.
He was a proud member of the Class of 1950 and steered numerous
students to his alma mater.
Born on Sept. 29, 1926, in Huntington, N.Y., he graduated from high
school in Stamford, Conn., in 1943. He joined the U.S. Navy
Construction Battalion in 1945 and was honorably discharged in 1946.
On May 15, 1947, he married Marion Agnes Comfort.
After graduating from New Mexico School of Mines, Richter received
his master's degree in mineralogy from Queen's University in Ontario in
1952. From 1952 to 2004, he worked primarily for the U.S. Geological
Survey in Washington, D.C., Cuba, Colorado, Hawaii, Alaska, Arizona,
and New Mexico.
His 41-year Alaska residency began in 1963 with the Alaska
Department of Mines and Minerals. In 1967, he rejoined the U.S.
Geological Survey and continued geologic mapping in the Wrangell
Mountains.
"Don loved the out-of-doors and was especially at home in the
mountains," his family recalled. "His thirst for learning about the
natural world was unquenchable and he loved to share that knowledge.
Don and his wife established a center for learning at Trail End Ranch
in New Mexico for teaching youths the natural history of the area. He
will be missed on the trails and peaks of Alaska and New Mexico."
He is survived by his wife Marion, three children, and numerous
grandchildren.
