Robert E. Behringer

Robert “Bob” Behringer, a physicist who worked in various capacities for the Office of Naval Research, died at home on August 22, 2016 while surrounded by his family. Bob was born on May 18, 1931 in Springfield, Massachusetts. During his early years, he lived in small towns in the Springfield area; he graduated from Oxford High School and went on to earn his B.S. in physics from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 1953. He then entered graduate school at the University of California at Berkeley, earning his Ph.D. in theoretical solid state physics under the guidance of Charles Kittel in 1958. His thesis work included the calculation of the susceptibility and Curie point of dilute magnetic crystals, and of the metallic transition in lithium hydride, the latter involving numerical work performed on IBM-650 and -704 computers of that era. Bob then worked on magnetic memory at IBM in Poughkeepsie, New York and subsequently returned to California to join the new physics department at San Fernando Valley State College (now the California State University at Northridge). While there, Bob participated in the 1963 Princeton Conference on Curriculum S. Seeking new challenges, Bob later joined the Pasadena Branch of the Office of Naval Research (ONR) to support basic and applied research, especially in lasers and optics, and earned a Navy Meritorious Civil Service Award. After retiring from ONR, Bob worked with a consulting firm, Ballena Systems Corporation, and then retired to life on the Oregon coast. In addition to continuously learning, Bob loved his family and the outdoors. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Fe, five children, and five grandchildren.