Wulf Kunkel

Wulf Kunkel

Wulf B. Kunkel died in his sleep on September 3, 2013, at home at the Lake Park Retirement Residence in Oakland.

Wulf was born in Germany on February 6, 1923. He spent his formative years at the Quaker school Eerde in Holland where he fell in love with writing, directing and acting in plays, to the point that it was difficult for him to decide between theater and another interest, physics. During the War, he studied physics at the University of Amsterdam.

After the War, Wulf came to Berkeley to study at the University of California where he received his B.A. and Ph.D. in Physics in 1948 and 1951. He stayed on, first at the Institute of Engineering Research, and then joined the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) in 1956. During that year he also he became Professor of Physics at UC Berkeley. From 1971 to 1991 he served as leader of the Fusion Research Program at LBNL. He was a Fellow of the American Physical Society and was a Guggenheim Fellow twice. In 1982 he received the Alexander von Humboldt Award. He became Professor Emeritus in 1991 and continued as a Participating Scientist in LBNL's Accelerator and Fusion Research Division.

Wulf loved Berkeley, but when not in Berkeley, he and his family enjoyed spending time in Sea Ranch and Pt. Reyes. Wulf is survived by his wife Erika, three children, Laurence, Barbara, and Maya, his sister Mia and brother Bill, grandchildren Katia and Timothy Nonet, and son-in-law Michael Nonet. He was preceded in death by his brothers Peter and John.

Memorial services will be held in his honor in the near future.