Eric King-Smith

Eric King-Smith aged 97 passed away peacefully Saturday morning June 24th. Eric was born in Melbourne, Australia on March 3rd, 1926 to Frederick and Irene King-Smith. When growing up in Melbourne, Eric attended Scotch College, a private high school, where he was awarded a 4-year full tuition scholarship based on his entry exams. He continued his schooling at the University of Melbourne, in Melbourne, Australia graduating with a bachelors degree with honors in Engineering in 1947. He completed a masters degree in Electrical Engineering in 1948 and PHD in Electrical Engineering in 1968.
In 1948 he worked with the Australian Commonwealth Civil Aviation department in Melbourne Australia, on navigational aids for civil aircraft. The distance measuring system he worked on is the basis for all aircraft distance measuring systems used today world wide. He also worked on electrical systems for the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation's Sabre Jet. Later he worked with Rola company in the manufacture of broadcast quality audio components including tape recorders, turntables and radios.
He rejoined the University of Melbourne in 1958 as a senior lecturer in Electrical Engineering. In 1961, he procured the first computer for the Electrical Engineering department, a dual processor analog computer called MUDPAC (Melbourne University Dual Package Analog Computer). He also consulted with industry on control systems for large coal mine shovels in Victoria Australia, and flight control systems for early rocket development in Woomera Australia.
In 1965 when he took sabbatical leave, he took the family to the United States and spent the year as a visiting professor and special lecturer at the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor Michigan. While in Ann Arbor, he decided to go back and develop a PhD in Biomedical Engineering. When he completed his degree in 1970 at the University of Michigan, he took a position at Medtronic Inc in St. Anthony Minnesota. While at Medtronic he was involved in wide ranging work including nuclear powered pacemakers and early artificial hearts.
In 1974, Eric took a position at Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing (3M) in St. Paul Minnesota, and worked on early library theft prevention systems. He then went back into biomedical engineering where his major success was the 3M TENZCARE product. This was the first commercially successful TENS device (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulator) used to relive local pain.
Eric retired in 1991, and to keep busy he tutored students at Breck School and others in the Twin Cities area well into his 70's. Throughout his life he was active in a wide variety of organizations including Jewish Education and his synagogues, acting, including in being an extra in the movie A Serious Man, and he loved attending Gilbert and Sullivan operetta's as well as concerts in the Twin Cities area. His love of music led to him playing recorder into his middle 80's in groups in the Twin Cities and Florida.
In his later years he enjoyed getting together with the far-flung children and grandchildren and enjoying their wide-ranging accomplishments. He was very proud of the people they grew up to be. In the last few years, he was able to greet the next generation in his three great-grandchildren.
Eric was preceded in death by his parents Frederick and Irene (nee Harlem) King-Smith, his brother Ronald King-Smith, his sister Valerie Jacobson, and his former wife Ruth King-Smith. He is survived by his wife Roxie King-Smith, his children Judith Uridge (George deceased), Bernard King-Smith (Lisa), Naomi King-Smith (Todd Werner), grandchildren Shawn, Laura (Andrew Gordon), Theodore (Brittany), David, Arielle (Yaniv Wolf), Benjamin (fiancé Sarah) and Jonathan, great-grandchildren Calvin, Madison and Leo. He is also thankful for Roxie's children Gail (Reuben), Dan (Melissa) and Ann (Stuart), as well as Gail's children Ben and Sol for the relationship they developed with him.
Donations should be directed to Jewish Family and Children's Service of Minneapolis
(JFCS) or a youth fund at the Adath Jeshurun Congregation in Minnetonka, Minn. For those in Australia the B'nai Brith Bernard Lustig scholarship fund in Melbourne Australia or Mount Scopus College, Melbourne Australia.
Graveside service 4:00 PM Tuesday, June 27 at Adath Chesed Shel Emes Cemetery, 3740 Winnetka Ave N, Crystal.
A gathering with those family members who are from out of town.
5:30 PM, TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 2023
Springhill Suites - 1st-floor conference room
5901 Wayzata Blvd.
St Louis Park, MN
Shiva Service
7:00 PM, TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 2023
Adath Jeshurun Congregation
10500 Hillside Lane
Minnetonka, MN
Funeral arrangements with Adath Jeshurun Chevra Kavod Hamet and www.Washburn-McReavy.com
Edina Chapel 952-920-3996