Kendall Moll Ph.D.

Kendall Dean Moll, Ph.D. of Portola Valley, Calif., died Nov. 27, 2008, in Palo Alto, Calif., from complications of Parkinson's disease. He was 81 years old.
"He infused everyone around him with his passion for adventure and his persistent quest for knowledge about the world and its wonders," said his family. "He traveled regularly across the globe throughout his career, including all of the seven continents of the planet. Even during his illness his encyclopedic knowledge was legendary among family, friends and colleagues."
He was born an identical twin on April 30, 1927, in Oakdale, Calif., to Leo R. and Erna Schattenburg Moll, and attended Oakdale schools, where his mother was a teacher and later principal. In 2002, he and his twin brother Kenneth were honored as distinguished alumni of Oakdale High School. They had enlisted in the U.S. Navy immediately upon graduation, just in time to witness the end of World War II. Both twins trained as electronics technicians in the new fields of radar and sonar technologies.
Within a year, the Navy Department appointed him to the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md.; his twin brother was simultaneously appointed to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. Both graduated from their respective academies in 1950, and for more than 50 years they enjoyed the distinction of being the only twins ever to simultaneously attend rival U.S. military academies. Kendall was in the 6th Battalion, 33rd Co. at the U.S. Naval Academy, where he received his Bachelor of Science degree with distinction in electrical engineering. A medical discharge from the military led him immediately into graduate school and a lifelong career in academia.
He married his wife of 57 years, Barbara Lucille Delphey, on Sept. 2, 1951, and soon had three sons. While raising his family and working full time, he acquired a master's degree in electrical engineering in 1953 and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Decision Analysis in 1968, both from Stanford University.
He spent the majority of his career as a senior research analyst at Stanford Research Institute (SRI) in Menlo Park, Calif., where he specialized in disaster preparedness, emergency planning, nuclear defense and the development of emerging countries' economic and infrastructure plans. His career passions were management and negotiation, trade and international relations. Throughout his long career he traveled worldwide, often accompanied by his family. Notable postings included two years in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 18 months in Anchorage; and a year in Fujinomiya, Japan. He retired as Professor Emeritus of Management from San Francisco State University.
Dr. Moll "loved to travel, especially with us," said his family. "He'd been to all 50 states, seen every sitting president since Truman, and was on every continent including Antarctica. He swam in the Dead Sea and the Antarctic Ocean, kissed the Blarney Stone, ate the potentially deadly Fugu fish in Japan, climbed a live volcano and watched nuclear tests in Nevada wearing sunglasses. He was known for his unique sense of humor and love of adventure. He would even bring home things like chocolate-covered ants from his travels."
Kendall Dean Moll passed away quietly in his sleep early Thanksgiving Day with his son Martin by his side.
He is survived by his wife, Barbara; three sons, Martin of Chico, Calif., Howard of McMinnville, Ore., and Stanton of Anchorage; two brothers, Kenneth of Alexandria, Va., and Leo R. Jr. of Aptos, Calif.; and two grandchildren, Michele and Jeremy.
His ashes will be buried at Alta Mesa cemetery in Palo Alto, Calif. A memorial service will be held at the Stanford Memorial Church on the Stanford University campus on Jan. 8, 2009, at 3:30 pm. Please email smrm@gci.net for updates.