Leonce John "L.J." Sevin Jr.

1930 - 2015

Leonce John Sevin, Jr., (L.J.), died at home the evening of September 12, 2015 at the age of 85. He is survived by his wife of 60 years Jo Danna Sevin and their children Paula Sevin Webster Hayes (husband Steve), Gordon Sevin, Christine Sevin Burke (husband Patrick). L.J. and Jo have two grandchildren, Nicole Webster Poulin (husband Marcus), and Laird Justin Burke, one great-grandson, D'Artagnan Sevin Poulin, and numerous nieces and nephews. L.J. is preceded in death by his daughter Joanna Sevin who died in 1982 in an automobile accident. He is also preceded in death by his parents, Leonce John Sevin, Sr. and Pauline Perkins Sevin, and his siblings Willie Sevin, Eloise Sevin, Paul Sevin, Mildred Sevin Strickland and Wallace Sevin. Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, L.J. graduated from Catholic High School in 1947, where he was inducted into the Founders Society in 2005 in recognition of his continued support of the school. He enlisted in the Navy and served in the Korean War as an avionics technician, and there developed what would become his lifelong interest in the field of electronics. As he did with many opportunities throughout his life, L.J. took advantage of the G.I. Bill college benefits and graduated from Louisiana State University with a master's degree in electrical engineering. While on leave from the Navy in 1952, he had a chance encounter with a beautiful girl he saw in the City News Stand in downtown Baton Rouge who later became his wife. Work brought L.J. and Jo to Texas and it became the home for his family. While working at Texas Instruments, L.J. wrote the definitive book on "Field Effect Transistors". The book was ultimately translated into seven languages and L.J. was recognized as the expert in this field. In 1969, with a small group of other TI engineers, L.J. cofounded Mostek Corporation and served as CEO for ten years. The company made and patented several significant innovations in the semiconductor memory market, including ion implementation processing and the first single chip calculator. Mostek was among a handful of companies credited with the amazing advances in electronics over the past fifty years. L.J. led Mostek to national and international status. After negotiating the sale of Mostek to United Technologies in 1979, L.J., along with Ben Rosen, a respected securities analyst on Wall Street, established Sevin Rosen Funds, a venture capital fund, in 1981. Helping to start Compaq Computer Corporation in 1982 was one of the fund's earliest successes. The Compaq Portable PC revolutionized the personal computer industry. In addition to backing Compaq, Sevin Rosen was involved in providing venture capital to many other technology companies, including Lotus Development Corporation, Electronic Arts, Citrix, Ciena, Cyrix and Cypress Semiconductor. L.J. was a director of the Institute of Technology at Southern Methodist University, the A. B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University, the Bulova Watch Company and the Trade Policy Committee of the Semiconductor Industry Association. He testified before the House Ways and Means Committee and the International Trade Commission regarding foreign trade barriers. A lifelong lover of classical music, L.J. not only found great pleasure in this music but, like anything he valued, he developed great knowledge and insight. As a philanthropist, L.J. focused on opera and education. He served on the Dallas Opera Board of Directors and was a significant contributor to that organization. L.J. and Jo created the Joanna Angela Sevin Endowed Scholarship at Catholic High School in Baton Rouge. In 1997, L.J. and Jo funded and directed the integration of technology into the curriculum of St. Joseph's Academy in Baton Rouge, including laptops for students and faculty, and a wireless campus. L.J.'s colleagues throughout his life consistently characterized him as fair and honorable. He had a remarkable mind and a wry sense of humor. He accomplished many things in his life but never stopped seeking to learn more and was loved and respected by the people with whom he interacted. Services will be at All Saints Catholic Church, 5231 Meadowcreek Drive in Dallas, on Saturday, September 26 with visitation at 10:00 AM and the funeral Mass at 11:00 AM. The interment with full military honors will take place at Calvary Hill Cemetery, 3235 Lombardy Lane, immediately following the memorial service. A celebration of L. J.'s life will then be held for family and friends. Special thanks to all the caregivers for their loving care, friendship and support. Memorial donations can be made to the Alzheimer's Association, the Parkinson's Disease Foundation, the Community Initiatives Foundation in Baton Rouge, or the charity of your choice.