Dr. Nicholas Yaru

Dr. Nicholas Yaru
age 88, passed away on Aug. 18 with Rosemary, his wife of 62 years, by his side. He is survived by Rosemary and their three children and spouses, Nick and Denise Yaru and grandchildren, Natalie and Katie; Tom and Suzanne Yaru and grandchildren, Erin, James and Lauren; Blair and daughter, Susan LaGrandeur and grandchildren, Trey, Nick and Matt LaGrandeur. He was born in Canton, Ohio on Nov. 8, 1923 along with his surviving sister, Virginia Williams, to Nick and Victoria Yaru. Dr. Yaru graduated in 1944 from the Carnegie Institute of Technology, in Pittsburgh, with a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering. His graduate work was completed at the University of Illinois where in 1948, he earned a master of science and in 1955 a doctor of philosophy, both in electrical engineering. As a research associate at the university, Dr. Yaru was jointly responsible for development of an aircraft homing system usable in difficult frequency range, earning him a Distinguished Alumni Award from the College of Engineering, University of Illinois. Later that year, he joined Hughes Aircraft Company as head of the UHF Antenna Group figuring prominently in development of three-dimensional radar and other advanced antenna and radar technologies. In January 1959, he transferred to the Ground Systems Group, in Fullerton, named manager of the radar division. In 1965, he was named a Corporate Vice President, serving as a Hughes executive until retirement in 1986. He was a member of the U.S. Naval Research Advisory Committee and the U.S. Army Science Board, serving on its standing committee on Ballistic Missile Defense. A member of Sigma XI, Eta Kappa Nu and the Institute for Defense Analyses Radar Panel (Science and Technology Division), he also held senior membership in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering. In addition, he was a member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Dr. Yaru lectured at UCLA for eight years and was a member of the Board of Advisors for The School of Engineering at UCLA; UC Davis; California State Universities Long Beach and Los Angeles. He holds patents on several antenna systems.
The family wishes to express its appreciation to The Covington assisted living caregivers as well as Sea Crest Hospice, providing months of treatment. Those desiring may make donations in Nick's memory to the National Parkinson Foundation, Orange County Chapter, P. O. Box 2207, Newport Beach, CA 92659. Service pending.