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Minoru Freund Obituary
Minoru M. "Mino" Freund
Resident of Los Altos
Passed away Jan. 17, 2012, just two weeks shy of his 50th birthday. Born in Pennsylvania Mino graduated in 1990 with a PhD degree in Solid State and Low Temperature Physics from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zürich.At NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field CA, Mino was director of the Center for Nanotechnology and Advanced Aerospace Materials and Devices.
Previously Mino was an Astrophysicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, a research physicist with the Air Force Research Laboratory in Dayton, OH, and principal investigator at the SETI Institute. At NASA Ames he developed projects for nano-material applications, specifically neuroscience.
Mino died after a 2 ½ year battle with brain cancer, which he chronicled on his blog "A Little Detour" (www.minofreund.org). He is survived by his parents, Friedemann Freund and Hisako Matsubara, also of Los Altos.
In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the Big Basin State Park, www.calparks.org, or sent to CSPS, 50 Francisco St., Suite 110, San Francisco, CA 94113, Attn: Davida Hartman. Memorial service arrangements will be announced at a later date.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Minoru Freund
October 30, 2012
remembering you mino..
Babak Kateb
June 25, 2012
Dear Mino, You lived a full life and your life touched many others. You were and still are inspiring to many of us. You were a great scientist, artist and friend. You were courageous and dedicated to science and humanity; you even received an award for this along with Congresswoman Giffords.
You kept your spirit up when things would not look positive and give others hope while you were fighting with the Brain Cancer. What a remarkable man, what a courageous soul, what a lovely parents who stood by you and fought with you, what a brave man.
You will be missed but your mark on this world remains a positive and inspiring one my dearest friend.
Sudha Lama
April 28, 2012
Dear Mino,
You have given me so much insight and inspiration to live a courageous and meaningful life. Thank you my friend. RIP.
j. a.
February 23, 2012
dearest friend, wish to have met you before you left this world. beyond words of comfort, so saddened to know about this...
thank you so much for your compassionate heart, your pure intensions towards me and your brightest accomplishments even to the last hours of your battle. farewell...rest in peace, dear mino..
Daniela P
February 20, 2012
RIP Mino,
You were a true Renaissance man indeed, a wonderful friend and scientist. You will be always remembered and will live on through the inspirations you have brought to those around you and all the things you accomplished.
Missing you dearly,
Stephen the Heathen
February 16, 2012
I came across Mino's blog about a year ago. Although we never communicated I have been greatly moved and inspired by him. Bless you Mino and your parents.
Petra Challus
February 15, 2012
Mino was a bright star that brought a marvelous light into this world. He's what many would aspire to be, yet like all stars, they blaze a trail, make an offering and chart a path back to the universe leaving us with stars in our eyes having known every now and then greatness visits this place. He will be sorely missed.
Nasa Colleague
February 10, 2012
Celebrating a life well lived. We will cherish the memories forever.
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