Nathan Sokal

Nathan (Nat) Sokal, 87, of Newton, formerly of Lexington, died at home on May 8, 2016. Nat is survived by his wife of 63 years, Zelda Sokal; his children Alan Sokal (Marina Papa-Sokal) of London, England, Karen Sokal of Piedmont, CA and Diane Sokal (Randolph Meiklejohn) of Brookline, MA; and sixgrandchildren. Nat was born in Brooklyn and graduated from MIT in 1950 with BS and MS degrees in electrical engineering. He worked as an electronics engineer including service with the US Air Force at MIT Lincoln Laboratory and at his consulting firm, Design Automation, Inc. Nat is best known for inventing the Class E high efficiency power amplifier in the early 1970s, which contributed to the development of cell phones and microwave ovens. Nat was honored by the IEEE for his pioneering work, and in 2011 he received an honorary Doctorate degree from the Polytechnic University of Madrid, culminating his six-decade career in engineering. Nat enjoyed nature and outdoor activities, ballroom dancing with his wife Zelda, and their travels around the world. A celebration of Nats life will be held in August. In lieu of flowers, a donation in Nats honor can be made to any deserving organization.