Obituary of Albert Simon

Dr. Albert Simon died peacefully on Sunday, February, 5 2017 at the age of 92. He is survived by his wife Rita, sons Richard of Roslyn, NY, David of Katy, TX & daughter Janet of Greensboro, NC, step-sons, Larry of Las Vegas, NV, Eliyahu of Zikhron Ya'akov, Israel & Tom of Vancouver, Canada and numerous grandchildren. He is predeceased by his first wife, Harriet. Dr. Simon graduated from CCNY in 1947 with a B.S. & was a member of the Perishing Rifles fraternity & served in the Navy during WW II. He went on to earn his doctorate in physics from the University of Rochester in 1950. He then worked at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, TN as Associate Director of the Neutron Physics Division, then at General Atomic in San Diego, CA as head of the Plasma Physics Division, & returned to the University of Rochester in 1966 where he served as a Professor of Mechanical Engineering & Physics as well as being a member of the University's interdisciplinary program in High Energy Density Plasma in collaboration with the Laboratory for Laser Energetics until his retirement in 2006. During his career Al was a Guggenheim Fellow at the Danish Atomic Energy Commission (1964-65) & held visiting positions at The Institute of Advanced Study at Princeton (1974) & at Oxford University, Oxford England (1975). Dr. Simon authored the text An Introduction to Thermonuclear Research & was the past editor of a series of books, Advances in Plasma Physics, & co-authored articles on Nuclear Fusion for the Encyclopedia Americana. Al & his wife Rita lived at The Highlands of Pittsford for the past six years where he was known for his love of bridge, classical music & reading. Funeral Services will be held on Tuesday, February 7, 2017 at 2 PM at Brighton Memorial Chapel, Inc. (3325 Winton Rd. S.). Interment, Mt. Hope Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Tuesday from 7-9 PM & Wednesday & Thursday from 2-4 & 7-9 PM at the Highlands of Pittsford (100 Hahnemann Trail). In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the University of Rochester Laboratory for Laser Energetics, 250 East River Rd., Roch., NY 14623 - Attention: Director's Office.