Brian Boru Dunne II January 8, 1924 - November 30, 2017 La Jolla Dr. Brian Bor Dunne II died peacefully in his home in La Jolla on November 30, 2017, with his four children by his side. Brian met the love of his life, Gloria Ann Norcross, in Los Angeles. They lived happily together for 57 years until Gloria died in 2012. Brian was born in 1924 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. At an early age, he was interested in science. When he was 7 years old, his family moved to Ashram Ananda in Los Angeles for two years. He received a scholarship to attend the California Institute of Technology in Physics, and in his second year of school during the World War II, he enlisted in the V 12 Navy Program. He completed a Ph.D from UCLA in nuclear physics and worked for many years at General Atomics; he later established his own company, Ship Systems Inc. Brian was a preeminent experimental physicist and inventor. He was the head experimental physicist for Project Orion, a novel effort to harness nuclear energy for space travel. A model of Project Orion was displayed for many years at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC. Brian also designed a reliable, inexpensive, and practical ship defense system designed to defeat cruise missiles, the scourge of modern ships. This culminated in his patented spin-stabilized Laser Guided Projectile. His designs were also used in the first Lunar Lander, and the U2 plane. While working at General Atomics, Brian helped design a safer reactor called the TRIGA (Training, Research, Isotype, General Atomic) nuclear reactor. It is the most widely used research reactor in the world with 66 facilities built in 24 countries across five continents. Brian worked with some of the greatest physicists of the 20th-21st centuries including Freeman Dyson, Theodore Taylor, Edward Teller and Hans Bethe. In his later years, Brian was passionate about archeology. He was especially interested in early and complex stone tools, and the first intercontinental mass migrations of Early Man. He collected, catalogued and analyzed thousands of stone tools. He developed a theory that Early Man crossed the Bering Land Bridge from modern day Siberia to North America, much earlier than conventional wisdom. Brian was an inquisitive, charming and brilliant man. He had a sensitive and creative nature, and a great sense of humor. He loved the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park; the dry climate and scenery was relaxing and restorative, and he enjoyed many holidays there with his family. He adored his grandchildren Paul, Sage, Kara, Liam and Gloria Ann.Brian is survived by his daughter Maya, her husband, John and their two children, Paul and Kara; his daughter, Annie, her husband, Tony, and their daughter Sage; his daughter Eileen, and her son, Liam Bor; and his son Brian Bor, wife Zhang Peng and their daughter, Gloria Ann. He is survived by his sister, Cecilia; nieces, Lisa, Susan, Shawn, Lesley and Amy; and nephews, Paul, Kevin, Bobby and Cecil Wayne. Brian is greatly missed by his family and friends. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in his name to either: Anza-Borrego Foundationhttps://anzaborrego.z2systems.com/np/clients/anzaborrego/donation.jsporThe Leakey Foundationhttps://leakeyfoundation.org/support-us/donate/ Please sign the guest book online at legacy.com/obituaries/ lajollalight .
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4 Entries
As time passes. And the family and friends continued to comfort one another. Please take comfort in God's word Isaiah41:10,13. My deepest sympathy
Fran
January 3, 2018
Please accept my deep expressions of sympathy, May the loving memories you've shared continue to warm your heart, 116:15
January 2, 2018
May the God of comfort be with you at this time
Connie
January 2, 2018
As the days and weeks pass, and as you return to life's routine, may you continue to feel comforted by the love and support of family and friends.
A. H.
December 30, 2017
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