Obituary of Theodore Madey

Our friend and colleague, Ted Madey, passed away on July 27, 2008. For many in the AVS community, Ted and the AVS have been virtually synonymous. He was an active member throughout his career. President, Trustee Chair, Medard Welch Awardwinner, Honorary Member are among his many AVS titles and accolades. A consummate gentleman and gifted scientist, he exemplified the best of AVS and his profession. He will be missed by his many friends and colleagues in the AVS community, but his scientific legacy and his imprint on the AVS are indelible. A complete obituary follows as published on Tuesday, July 29, 2008, in the Frederick News Post.

Theodore Eugene (Ted) Madey, Ph.D., 70, the State of New Jersey Professor of Surface Science at Rutgers University and a pioneer in the field of physics and chemistry of solid surfaces, died at his home on Sunday, July 27, 2008, following a battle with lung cancer.

Professor Madey was a prolific and influential scientist for his entire 45-year career, authoring over 400 publications pertaining to the physics and chemistry of atomic and molecular-level surface processes.

Prof. Madey was born Oct. 24, 1937 in Wilmington, Del., and spent most of his early life in Baltimore. After attending Loyola Blakefield High School in Baltimore, he received a Bachelor’s in physics from Loyola College of Baltimore in 1959, and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Notre Dame in 1963.

He served on the scientific staff at the National Bureau of Standards (now National Institute of Standards and Technology, NIST) from 1963 to 1988, attaining the position of NBS Research Fellow and Leader of the Surface Structure and Kinetics Group. In 1988, he was appointed State of New Jersey Professor of Surface Science and Director of the Laboratory for Surface Modification at Rutgers University and he served there until the time of his death.

Prof. Madey received numerous prestigious awards and honors for the sustained high quality and creativity of his work, including an honorary doctorate from the University of Wroclaw in Poland in 2004.

A dedicated and beloved teacher to hundreds of undergraduate students and research mentor to dozens of graduate students and postdocs, he was awarded the Graduate Teaching Award from Rutgers University in 1995. Prof. Madey was an outstanding leader within his scientific community, serving on many U.S. and international advisory committees. He also served on the editorial boards of many scientific journals and publications, including Physics Today.

Prof. Madey is survived by his wife of 48 years, Jane M. Madey; his four children, Timothy Madey, Doretta Witt, Maureen O’Shea, and Daniel Madey; his sister, Audrey Norrod; and his 13 grandchildren, Austin O’Shea, Garrett O’Shea, Timothy O’Shea, Katherine Witt, Kevin O’Shea, Sarah Witt, Anna O’Shea, Lauren Madey, Luke Madey, William O’Shea, Grace Madey, Mary Witt, and Julia Madey. He was preceded in death by his parents, Eugene and Lucy Madey.

Yvonne Towse

Administrative Director

AVS

Theodore Eugene Madey

Physics Today