Donald Alfred Gurnett

1940 - 2022

DONALD ALFRED GURNETT Iowa City Donald Alfred Gurnett, 81, of Iowa City, Iowa, passed away on Jan. 13, 2022, at The Bird House Hospice Home of Johnson County surrounded by family, after a short illness. A Celebration of Life will be held later due to COVID-19. Don was born on April 11, 1940, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the son of Alfred and Velma Gurnett. He grew up on a farm near Walford, Iowa. In 1957 he graduated from St Patrick's School in Fairfax. As an undergrad Don studied electrical engineering at the University of Iowa and received a Ph.D. in Physics and Astronomy in 1965. His career at the University of Iowa spanned 65 years, with the exception of year-long sabbaticals at Stanford University, Max Planck Institute Germany and UCLA. Don led or was involved in more than 30 spacecraft projects, most notably, the Voyager 1 and 2 flights to the outer planets, the Galileo mission to Jupiter, and the Cassini mission to Saturn. He was a member of the National Academy of Sciences among many national and international distinctions. As a professor he taught Astronomy to innumerable undergraduate students and mentored 64 M.S. and Ph.D. students. He continued working until the last week of his life as an emeritus professor, responding to emails, recording an upcoming talk and completing interviews. Don met Marie Schmitz, the love of his life, on a blind date. They were married for 57 years and had two daughters. Marie nurtured his career as a constant audience, occasional editor, traveling companion and supplier of his favorite peanut butter cookies. Don enjoyed telling stories, skiing, watching animals in nature, giving talks about the origin of life and his journeys to the outer planets, questioning how things work, building model airplanes, flying and working on his World War II airplane, competing in national glider contests and his daily walks. One thing we will all remember is desire to teach and learn from everyone he met. Those left to cherish Don's memory are his wife, Marie; his daughters, Suzanne Gurnett Streitz (Jeffrey), of Iowa City and Christina Gurnett of St. Louis, Mo.; his grandchildren, Audrey, Karl and Ingrid Gurnett Streitz, Ellison, Kathleen and Thomas Gurnett Dobbs; and brothers and sisters-in-law, Janice Roberts, Ron (Louise) Schmitz, Leroy Mullinnix, Linda Paine, Norma (Larry) Stanfield, Dale Wauters, Vernon (Lucinda) Schmitz, Lois Akey, Marilyn (Randy) Stepan, Victor (Karen) Schmitz and Cindy (Forrest) Leveille. He was preceded in death by his parents, Alfred and Velma Gurnett; his three brothers-in-law, Bill Roberts, Jim Paine, Mike Akey; and sisters-in-law, Delores Mullinnix and Leona Wauters. Memorials in Don's memory may be directed to the Donald A. and Marie B. Gurnett Chair of Physics, University of Iowa at the Center for Advancement, 1 West Park Rd., Iowa City, IA 52242 or the charity of your choice. In lieu of flowers, please share your memories of Don with his family in a written letter by sending them to mbgurnett@aol.com. Online condolences at www.lensingfuneral.com.