Daniel Harlow Lufkin

1930 - 2018

Daniel Harlow Lufkin obituary, 1930-2018, Frederick, MD

Daniel Harlow Lufkin

1930 - 2018

BORN

1930

DIED

2018

Daniel Lufkin Obituary

Published by Legacy Remembers on Aug. 9, 2018.
Dan Lufkin died Aug. 2, 2018, at Homewood in Frederick, Md., holding his wife Pat's hand and surrounded by his three children. That great brain of his was overcome by tumor-caused edema. He was born September 26, 1930, in Ridley Park, Pa., to the late Ruth Donovan and Nathan Randall Lufkin. He was predeceased by two sisters, Mary Lufkin Hallwachs and Ann Lufkin Heerbrandt.

He was a man of many talents who loved learning, teaching, and sharing his knowledge with others. He retired in 1973 (colonel) after 20 years in the US Air Force. He served as USAF liaison to the first meteorological satellite program (TIROS), R & D scientist at the National Photographic Interpretation Center, and director of the USAF Solar Forecast Facility, a string of solar observatories around the world. He was a graduate of Tenafly (N.J.) High School (1948), Mass. Institute of Technology (B.S. 1952 and M.S. 1958), and the International Meteorological Institute of the Univ. of Stockholm, Sweden (Ph.D. 1964). After military service, Dan was director of the Information Technology Center at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, where he introduced some of the first IBM PCs in the Federal government ("over the dead bodies of management") and was featured on the cover of Government Data Systems magazine. He then worked in spacecraft instrumentation at SpaceCom and Fairchild Space Co. Dan wrote, "A lot of my career was spent writing briefings explaining to powerful but scientifically ignorant people how technical things work. I've been lucky to have had an interesting profession at an interesting time, and to have worked with interesting people in interesting places."

Meanwhile, Dan taught astronomy and cosmology at Hood College for 12 years and, until his retirement in Dec. 2015, he worked as a freelance translator of the Germanic languages, focusing mostly on technical, medical and legal work, including several textbooks. He also did much pro bono translation work, one such project being the diary kept by a young Dutch Jewish boy who was hidden on a farm during the German occupation, as he said, "a cross between Anne Frank and Tom Sawyer." In the late '60s he served on the board of Burgundy Farm Country Day School in Alexandria, Va., and was a volunteer electrician in the construction of Burgundy Wildlife Center near Capon Bridge, W. Va. Dan was an avid cyclist and rode many a morning from Frederick to Woodsboro for Sunday breakfast with his bike buddies, as well as many 100+ mile rides. He took up scuba diving at age 65 and loved exploring coral reefs in Bonaire, Roatan and other Caribbean sites. He treasured his decades-long book club colleagues and their discussions that ranged far from book topics, and delighted in the science and technology group he was active with at the Lodge at Homewood.

Dan is survived by his wife, Patricia Lynch Lufkin; children Joseph Lufkin of Manila, Philippines, and Amy-Catherine McEwan and David Lufkin and wife Linda, of Frederick; grandchildren Felix Lufkin, Sophia Lufkin Levin, Juliana Lufkin and Celeste McEwan. He is also survived by his dear nephew Bill Hallwachs and wife Susan; niece Carla Hallwachs Dewhurst; sister, Elizabeth Lufkin, of Mathews, Va., and brother-in-law Anthony Heerbrandt of Gwynn Island, Va. Dan participated for 25 years in a longitudinal study of Alzheimer's disease first at NIH and then at Johns Hopkins. His brain was donated to Hopkins as part of that program and his body to the Maryland Anatomy Board. In lieu of flowers, his family requests donations in Dan's name be made to Hospice of Frederick County, P.O. Box 1799, Frederick, MD 21702. A gathering to honor Dan's memory is being planned. His final resting place will be the Columbarium at Arlington National Cemetery.

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August 9, 2020

Joergen Taagholt posted to the memorial.

December 10, 2019

Joergen Taagholt posted to the memorial.

August 22, 2018

Oleg Fedosseyev posted to the memorial.

Joergen Taagholt

August 9, 2020

As head of the Ionosphere Laboratory at the Technical University of Denmark I got in the 1970s contact with Daniel Lufkin. In November 1969 I was visiting NOAA in Boulder, and talked with Dan in the phone before my visit at Colorado Springs. We had never met, but Dan said that is no problem you will find me at the Greyhound bus Station. And he was right. As soon as I arrived I saw a US Colonel carrying a large Danish Flag.

I spend interesting days in Colorado, and I remember several Danish drawings by the Danish humorist P. Srensen-Fugholm in his home in Colorado. He had a long interest in Scandinavia, which we appreciate.

In 1970 we met again, now at Thule AB, and although I know, that Dan - in addition to his tremendous knowledge in physics – was an unusual linguistic genius, so he impressed me being able to communicate with the local Inuit’s, although he had not been at Thule since 1950 !

When I worked on reopening Station Nord, the most northern location in North East Greenland, I got a lot of support from Dan, who spoke against the perception that the station was not of importance any more. We succeeded, Station Nord today serves as an important location for studies at the Polar Sea.

In 1989 my wife Inge and travelled in USA for 6 weeks, and enjoyed a stay at the Lufkins in Frederic, and Inge was fascinated of Dan’s lecture regarding fractals. We had some wonderful days. Unfortunately the family Lufkin never visited us in Denmark, but we kept in contact, and Dan assisted me several times. As an example he for US National Science Foundation translated by booklet Greenland: Security Perspectives in 2001. When I wrote the book Grnlands Teknologi Historie (Technological History of Greenland ) (640 pages) in 2012 Dan assisted translating some of the technical sections, and he kindly proofread my neighbor Kurt’s most complicated book: Fractured aquifers- Formation Evaluation by Well Testing.

I will always remember Daniel Lufkin for his kindness, his knowledge, his engagement and helpfulness and his humor. I am very thankful for the many years of friendship.

Jorgen Taagholt, MSc, former Danish Scientific Liaison Officer for Greenland. [email protected]

Joergen Taagholt

December 10, 2019

I just got the information to day, that we have lost our great friend Dan.
My naboer and I want to express our thankfulness for the friendship and help we have received from Dan. and we appreciate our common interest for technical matters and for Greenland.
Sincerely yours
Jrgen Taagholt, Scientific Liaison Officer for Greenland.

Oleg Fedosseyev

August 22, 2018

I cannot tell you how sorry I was to hear about your dad. I was shocked and saddened by the news. Please extend my sympathy to your mom and the rest of your family.

August 12, 2018

We felt honored to have met him and know his son Dave.
Paul and Kaa March

S G

August 11, 2018

I'm very sorry for your loss. May the "God of all comfort" bring you peace throughout this difficult time. (2 Cor. 1:3)

Rayford Harris

August 10, 2018

My sincere condolences to the family .

Jennifer Caon

August 10, 2018

There was both a gentleness and intensity to Dan . . . a wonderful balance of intelligence and heart. It was reassuring to be around him. He will be missed and remembered.

Liz Gillison

August 10, 2018

What a beautiful tribute. I'm so grateful to have known Dan for the short time I did. Pat, I'm sending good thoughts to you and your family.

Ann and Fred Abeles

August 9, 2018

Dear Pat and Family,
Fred and I are very sad to hear of your loss of Dan. He was an incredible man, intelligent and kind. He will be greatly missed by many.

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August 9, 2020

Joergen Taagholt posted to the memorial.

December 10, 2019

Joergen Taagholt posted to the memorial.

August 22, 2018

Oleg Fedosseyev posted to the memorial.