Kenneth Ivan Golden

Kenneth Ivan Golden

Kenneth Ivan Golden was born to Albert A. and Sally Friedman Golden on October 24, 1932. His parents were hard-working and unfailingly supportive of both Ken and his older brother Gerry, and there were countless stories and happy memories of growing up in their Chicago neighborhood. It was Gerry who early on encouraged Ken's interest in science, classical music, and mischief.

At Northwestern University Ken studied mechanical engineering largely because, in the 1950s, it was the accepted path for a young man with a scientific mind. But his true passion in those years was springboard diving, its elegance and thrill, the self-study of form and motion.

After graduating from Northwestern, Ken earned two advanced engineering degrees at MIT and studied aeronautical engineering at Princeton. There he realized that traditional laboratory research was not for him; so, as an Air Force reservist, he went on active duty at the Air Force Geophysical Research Laboratory near Boston. There he met and worked with his first mentor, Hari Sen, who encouraged him to approach physics as a theorist, emphasizing that this was where his natural talent lay. After completing his Air Force tour of duty, Ken went to Paris on a Fulbright scholarship to complete his doctorate at the Sorbonne under Professor Paul Germain, one of the world's top applied mathematicians at the time.

Ken planned to live and work in Paris, but first set out to visit his family in Chicago. At the beginning of that voyage he met Sue Garner, who was returning to her family in Cincinnati after studying in France. Knowing his heart, he proposed to her within hours of meeting. They married one year later, in 1965. Their sons Christopher and Matthew were born in Boston, where Ken taught at Brandeis and Northeastern Universities for 17 years. In 1986, the family moved to Vermont and Ken began his 30-year career at the University of Vermont. He taught in the departments of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering and then Mathematics, retiring in 2016 as Professor Emeritus of Mathematics, Electrical Engineering, and Physics.

Ken lived for his family, his research, and his love of classical music. Some of his most treasured memories were of year-long sabbaticals in France and Australia, where he shared his love of travel and exploration with his family. And there was always music; in retirement he found new and dear friends with whom to explore his love for chamber music, and that helped sustain him until his death on August 18th.

Ken celebrated knowledge, which he experienced as a process, not an endpoint. He continued to learn and expand his understanding of the world around him until the very end, never shying from the truth of things. He was the exemplar of a loving and compassionate man. His family and those who came to know him took great comfort in his warmth.

Ken is survived by his family: Sue; Chris and his family (Amel, Leyla, and Noor); and Matt and his partner, Elisa Mayes. Donations in Ken's name may be made to a local organization that combats hunger. Alternatively, his memory can be celebrated by listening to his favorite Beethoven quartet, Opus 131.