H. Brainard Fancher

Fancher, H. Brainard

H. Brainard Fancher died March 2, 2014 at his home in Ithaca, NY at the age of 99. He was a resident of Kendal at Ithaca for the past 18 years, and lived most of the prior 50 years prior in the Syracuse and Skaneateles areas. Brainard was born in Hartford CT on July 14, 1914, the son of Henry Fancher and Nettie Brainard. He graduated from Brown University with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering, magna cum laude. He was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) in 1969. Brainard was hired by General Electric as a Test Engineer in 1936, and spent the rest of his 48 year career in various engineering and senior management roles with GE. For the Transmitter Division, he worked on the development of TV transmitters in the late thirties, including the licensing the experimental station in Schenectady (now WRGB). During World War II, he was placed on the reserved list of Scientific Research Personnel by the War Manpower Commission and worked on government programs for aircraft including microwave TV to guide airborne weapons. He moved to Syracuse in 1946, where he was directly involved in industry and government committees for the emerging television and, later, semiconductor businesses. As manager of Semiconductor Products, he negotiated GE licenses with the Sony founders in Japan in 1958, and he witnessed the world's first operating LED light at his Syracuse lab in 1962. In 1963 he was appointed General Manager for GE's portion of the Apollo Program. In 1964, GE purchased the French company Bull Computer and transferred him to Paris as its General Manager. In 1967, he returned to GE Aircraft Equipment Division in Syracuse, where he oversaw worldwide business development until his retirement in 1984. He was a member of the First Unitarian Church of Ithaca and had served on its Board of Trustees, and he had also served as budget chair for the District Board. His volunteer activities over his years in Syracuse included the Board of Child & Family Services, Everson Museum of Art Members Council, and SCORE. He and his wife Natalie traveled extensively over 6 continents. Brainard is survived by four children: Donald of Longboat Key, FL; Dick (Annette Hulse) of Los Altos, CA; Arrin (Jack McKiernan) of East Dummerston, VT; and Judith Fancher, of Syracuse NY; eight grandchildren: Geoff, Greg, Brian, and Mark Fancher, Laura Redenbaugh, Sarah Storm, Zara DiZoglio, and Scott Payne; eleven great-grandchildren, and his cat Molly. His wife of 72 years, Natalie B. Fancher, who died in 2009, and his sister, Connie Dickinson, preceded him in death. A memorial tea will be held Wednesday March 12 at 2:00pm, Kendal at Ithaca. Donations may be made in Brainard's honor to the charity of your choice.