John Waddell Obituary

John F. Waddell
October 3, 1918 - September 6, 2012
Former Resident of Lafayette
John was born in Duluth Minnesota in 1918. In 1925, he moved with his family to Sacramento where he spent the remainder of his childhood. After living in Berkeley for a number of years, John and his family moved to Lafayette where he remained for over sixty years. John served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. John attended University of California at Berkeley where he received both Bachelorette and Master's degrees in Physics. He performed research in High Energy Physics at both the Lawrence Radiation and Lawrence Livermore Laboratories. Subsequently, John taught Physics for several decades at Saint Mary's College, Moraga California. John was a member of the parish at St. Michael Orthodox Church, Concord. He is survived by his three children, J. Patrick, Richard, and Catherine, and his step-son, James. Family and Friends are invited to attend Funeral Services Friday September 20, 2012 at 10 AM at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Ascension, 4700 Lincoln Ave., Oakland. Interment to follow at Mt. View Cemetery, Oakland. For further information please call: Harry W. Greer, Funeral Director (CA Lic. FDR-745)
ALAMEDA FUNERAL CREMATION SERVICES
Harry W. Greer, Funeral Directro FDR-745
1415 Oak Street, Alameda, CA 94501
CA Lic. FD-2139 510-522-6020

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Published by Contra Costa Times on Sep. 19, 2012.

Memories and Condolences
for John Waddell

7 Entries

It was the space shuttle being ferried to its final desination in LA. To me this was a deeply meaningful synchrony of events.

Bob Potenza

December 23, 2012

Just before John's services, many people in the courtyard outside the church noticed an object in the sky.

Bob Potenza

December 23, 2012

With Bob Potenza & Lon Franklin, both Physics '62 (est taken 2002)

Bob Potenza

December 23, 2012

With John Parziale, Physics '62 (est taken in 2002)

Bob Potenza

December 23, 2012

Patrick Sheehy

September 27, 2012

John was a great teacher at St. Mary's and good friend. In later years I would find out that he was a flight instructor like myself. We would see each other at refresher clinics. I will miss a great man.

Bob Potenza

September 20, 2012

Memories of John Waddell

John was my physics professor at St. Mary's from 1958 through 62. The graduating physics class of ‘62 eventually numbered something like 10 students. Although there were several teachers who taught physics courses during our four years, John taught the core classes of the program and was the head of the department. It was clear from the beginning that John loved physics and wanted to communicate that love to his students. He combined this with a strong sense of responsibility to his subject and his students. In hindsight, John was teaching the basics directly from his extensive experiences in the field and so he always conveyed a practical connotation to the subject matter. All of this was given to us by a person who was, above all, a good and sensitive human being. I always felt that he cared about us individually. And even with the usual age gap between students and a professor, John was empathetic and conveyed the feeling that he understood how difficult it was to be a student while still challenging us for our own sakes. Not many professors related to us that way. So in a way we were together in the classroom as friends. John wrote on the blackboard left-handed and so eventually he became affectionately known as "Lefty" to some of us. He would knowingly pile on the work to cover the subject as planned in the allotted time. And he understood the load because he was often teaching several courses to us in the same semester. He once said to me with a smile as I handed in a big assignment at the last minute. "If you want to get something, give it to a busy man.” At the time, I didn't fully appreciate his remark, but in retrospect, he was quite right. During our senior year, we grew to have more personal contact with John. It was at that time I learned that he was a very religious person. He lived his life in a very genuine way in all its aspects. John was personally responsible for my entire undergraduate physics experience, both directly and indirectly. He gave me four years of academic growth and four years with heart. I am forever grateful to him.

Donald Vossler

September 20, 2012

John had a way of making Physics come alive and he was a key factor in my going to graduate school. He will be in my prayers.

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