PHILIP R. LICHTMAN

LICHTMAN, Philip R. LICHTMAN, Philip, 80, of Newton, beloved husband for 43 years of Sharon (Roth), father of Kurt and his wife Renee of New York, NY, Jay and his wife Caroline Kobin of Portland, OR, and Dennis and his wife Camila Santos of New York, NY, died peacefully of complications from strokes on June 28. He is also survived by his brother Stuart of Los Angeles, California and his partner Gloria Walther, and granddaughters Paulina and Elise. He pursued seven avocational passions in the course of his life: fishing, model airplanes, butterflies and entomology, telescopes and astronomy, cars, guns, and collecting and restoring oriental rugs. As a teenager in Washington, D.C., he twice won first place in the National Science Fair for telescopes he designed and built from scratch. After attending Harvard, he developed a long engineering career, designing and building components of high-performance cars, telescopes, optics, robotics, firearms, machinery, metallurgy, hydraulics/pneumatics, and surgical instruments. His first business, Competition Associates, was a car restoration and telescope building company in Harvard Square. Later, he became president of Group 128, an optics company in Waltham, eventually settling into a long consulting and prototyping career. Phil will be remembered as a hard-working, witty, and deeply caring man whose quest for perfection led him to excel in many walks of life. The family will host a memorial gathering in their home on Thursday, July 13 from 6pm to 9pm. Friends and family are welcome. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Phil's memory to Heifer International or a charity of your choice.

View the online memorial for Philip R. LICHTMAN