Russell G. Schonberg

Russell G. Schonberg September 15, 1926 - January 22, 2010 Los Altos Hills, CA. Russell George Schonberg, one of the pioneers and leading innovators of high energy linear accelerators, succumbed to cancer in his home in Los Altos Hills last Friday surrounded by his family. Russ was born in Minneapolis, MN on September 15, 1926, the fourth of five children to Martin & Julia Schonberg. As a child he developed a fascination for electronics that he would carry his whole life. For him electricity always had "a special kind of magic." After serving in both the Merchant Marines and Navy during World War II, Russ graduated from Cal Poly with a B.S. in Mathematics in 1950. Not long thereafter he was exposed to his first particle accelerator, a relatively new and unexplored technology. As manager of electrical systems at Varian Associates he helped develop one of the very first linear accelerators ever used in the medical field. In 1970 he founded Schonberg Radiation Corp. which still exists today. There he co-designed and built the world's first portable accelerator. Since its invention it has been used for many different applications, most notably the inspection of nuclear power plant piping and the testing of the structural integrity of dams and bridges. However, Russ's greatest achievements were in the medical field. He co-designed and built Accuray's Cyberknife, the first medical radiation unit guided by a computer aiming system. The Cyberknife has made cancer treatment more precise and patient friendly than ever and has already saved thousands of lives. Russ also co-invented the Mobitron, a device which emits an electron beam, which has had great success in treating certain types of cancer. When used in treating stage four breast cancer, for example, it has quadrupled the five year survival rate. Russ's company, Schonberg Research Corp, continues to build linear accelerator guides for medical and industrial applications. With a dedicated team and a new CEO, his legacy will continue into the future. Russ was devoted to his wife, Pat with whom he lived and worked side by side for sixty-one years until his death. Together they raised six children, ran the business, and traveled the world. In both his professional life and his family life, one of his greatest pleasures was connecting people together. As a CEO, he assembled teams of unique, creative people in order to develop new and exciting ideas. He took the same approach with his family. He and Pat have been the organizers and hosts of countless family reunions, bringing relatives together from all over the country. In 2000, he flew his children and grandchildren across the Atlantic to Estonia to re-establish a connection to their relatives and heritage. Russ is survived by his wife, Patricia; four siblings, Betty Ulrich, Vivian Frame, Don Schonberg, and Roy Schonberg; five children, Nancy Gisburne (deceased, Sept. 5, 1992), Susan Schonberg, Peter Schonberg, Mart Schonberg, Sandi Lucas, & Bonnie Konishi; fifteen grandchildren & nine great grandchildren. A Memorial service will take place on February 6th at 4:00pm at the Unity Church, 3391 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Foundation. For more information or to make a donation, go to www.lpfch.org/fundraising/makeagift/index.html Arrangements by BEDDINGFIELD FUNERAL SERVICE (408) 777-8100