John Edward Bigelow

1922 - 2019

John Edward (Ned) Bigelow, of Glenville, New York, died October 3, 2019 at the Glendale Home, surrounded by his loving family. Ned was born in Worcester, Massachusetts on July 25, 1922. His childhood was spent in Northborough, Massachusetts, where he met the love of his life, Emily Jane Howard, when she was in the 6th grade and he in the 7th. Ned's inclination toward inventing started at a very early age. When asked at age 6 what he would do when he grew up, he answered, "I already AM an inventor!" He earned bachelor's degrees in Mechanical Engineering in 1944, and, after serving in the army air corps, Electrical Engineering in 1946 at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He began an impactful career at General Electric in 1946. Ned and Emily were married on June 26, 1948 and settled in Schenectady. They relocated to Wisconsin in 1954 and returned to this area in 1964 with their five children. While at GE, Ned worked first in the Instrument Division, next in Advanced X-Ray Technology and finally Corporate R&D where he led pioneering research in liquid crystal display technology. He earned over 40 patents. Ned loved the outdoors and he and Emily instilled that in their children. They enjoyed many wonderful times at their summer home on Great Sacandaga Lake, and their vacations nearly always involved hiking. Ned was Adirondack 46'er number 976, and he was very active in efforts to preserve the Adirondacks. Ned also enjoyed white water canoeing, sailing, skiing and rock climbing. He enjoyed rowing since college and co-founded the Aqueduct Rowing Club in January 1973. In his retirement, he developed an interest in dual pendulum clocks, designing and building two of them, and publishing 44 articles in horological journals. He enjoyed tutoring young people in science, math and design. Ned was predeceased by his wife of 66 years, Emily, and his brother, Bill. He is survived by his sisters, Bobbie Lipscomb and Pat Tomlinson, as well as his children, Jack (Darlene), Barbara (Robyn, deceased), Bryant (Casey), Sam (Krista), and Peggy (Kyle Bottorff) as well as nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to Protect the Adirondacks (http://www.protectadks.org). A memorial service will be scheduled at a later date.