Asher Engler

Asher Engler, long-time resident of San Jose, July 30, 1932 - August 18, 2024

Asher Engler, devoted husband, father, and grandfather; nuclear engineer, Holocaust survivor. Born in Kossow, Poland (now Ukraine), fled with his family at age 10 to escape the ghettos and extermination during Nazi occupation. Asher was hidden in an attic in Romania for over a year, where he was secretly taught both secular and Judaic studies by his father. When the family could arrange passage, he made a perilous journey by sea to Palestine in 1944, separated from his family; his parents also survived but his sister perished when the boat she was traveling on was torpedoed.

He ran ammunition for the Haganah as a teen during Israel's fight for independence, and later joined the IDF as an officer. Asher earned his bachelor's degree in engineering from the Technion before emigrating to the United States to follow his beloved Josephina when as part of her military service she was sent to the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC-where they were married in 1957. He received a master's degree in mechanical engineering from Union College in Schenectady, NY, after which he began a 40-plus year career at General Electric first in the jet engine division, and then in the nuclear power division which brought him and his young family to San Jose. A seminal part of his tenure at GE was his years-long posting to Zurich, Switzerland to join GE's power plant design group for Western Europe-at a formative time for his career and in the lives of his four children.

He is survived by Josephine, his loving wife of 67 years, and his children Orlee (Jeffrey) Kahn of Baltimore, MD, Thalia (Bruce) Greene of Santa Cruz, CA, Rona (Neal) Orenstein of San Jose, CA, Barbara Engler of San Mateo, CA; grandchildren, Maya Engler, Jacob Engler, Evan Engler, Benjamin (Eliana) Kahn, Daniel Kahn, Ariella Greene, David Greene, Adina Greene, Adam Orenstein, and was predeceased by his son Aylon Engler.

He was deeply committed to his family, and his Jewish faith and observance.

Funeral services will be held at 9:30 am on Wed. Aug. 21 at Los Gatos Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Asher's name may be made to the American Technion Society, at www.ats.org/donate.