Sorab K. Ghandhi

1928 - 2018

Sorab K. Soli' Ghandhi January 1, 1928 - July 6, 2018 Escondido Beloved husband, father, and friend, Sorab Khushro Ghandhi, age 90, was born on January 1, 1928 in Allahabad, India, and passed away suddenly and unexpectedly during the extreme heat of July 6, 2018 in front of his residence in Escondido CA, where he and his wife Cecilia (Cecille) lived for 22 years.Soli was schooled at St. Joseph's College, Nainital, India, received his B.Sc. degree in electrical and mechanical engineering from Benares Hindu University in 1947, and his MS and Ph.D. in electronics from the University of Illinois in 1948 and 1951 respectively. While a member of the Advanced Circuits Group at G.E. from 1951 to 1960, he co-authored the first books in the world on transistor circuits (Principles of Transistor Circuits, 1953 and Transistor Circuit Engineering, 1957). He became a naturalized U.S. citizen on June 7, 1960. In 1961, he was very instrumental at a challenging meeting in Interlaken, Switzerland, in obtaining international adoption of the U.S. derived graphical symbol for Transistors and other Semiconductor devices.Dr. Sorab K. Ghandhi, Professor Emeritus of Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering, joined the RPI (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) in Troy, NY in 1963 as an Electrical Engineering Professor in the Electrophysics and Electronics Engineering (EEE) Division in the School of Engineering, and also served as Chairman of the division for seven years At RPI, Soli was a groundbreaking visionary who made significant contributions in the areas of microelectronics. His findings were introduced into the graduate curriculum and developed into nine new courses and three books (Theory and Practice of Microelectronics, 1968; Semiconductor Power Devices, 1977; VLSI Fabrication Principles, 1983, and a completely revised edition in 1994).Soli also authored or co-authored more than 180 papers and contributed chapters and expertise to countless other publications. He also served as an editor of the Solid State Electronics Journal for a number of years. Many of his research discoveries were recognized as firsts in the field. He was an invited keynote speaker to many national and international conferences. At RPI, he was proud to receive the Distinguished Teaching Award in 1975 and the Distinguished Professor Award in 1987. In 2010, he received the Education Award from the worldwide IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), "For pioneering contributions to semiconductor and microelectronics education." Upon retirement from RPI in 1992, he remained active with the RPI School of Engineering for over a decade as professor emeritus. He has been lauded by generations of students, faculty, and researchers as an unconventional thinker with a caring heart.Soli was one of the five sons of Khushro Shapur Ghandhi and Dina Amroliwala Ghandhi. They and his beloved eldest brother Vice Admiral Rustom K. S. Ghandhi, much acclaimed by the India Navy, preceded him in death. Soli and his wife Cecille were married for 36 years and had previously lived in Schenectady, NY. They moved to Escondido in 1996 with their seven cats, whom they both loved. He is survived by Cecille and his three sons, Khushro, Rustom (Patricia), and Behram, grandsons Sorab and Jamshed, his brothers Dhun, Burzoe (Nancy), and Jamshed and many other relatives and friends worldwide.An individual of many interests, Soli shared a love for Western Classical music and MesoAmerican archaeology with Cecille, and for about 25 years they explored remote ancient Maya sites in Mexico and Central America. Soli even wrote an article on Mayan calendrics, published in American Antiquity in 1984. He was a member of the Chalice Unitarian Church in Escondido where he also belonged to the Readers Group and the "Cracker Barrel" discussion group. He was a member of the Wordsmiths group in Rancho Bernardo where he contributed short stories and essays twice a month for critical discussion, and a member of the Escondido Art Association.There will be a Celebration of Life at the church of Chalice Unitarian Universalist Congregation at 2324 Miller Avenue, Escondido on Sunday, September 16, at 2 p.m. All are invited. In lieu of flowers, please honor Sorab with a donation to a charity of your choice.