James Eugene Soos

Dr. James (Jim) E. Soos was born in Chicago, IL on May 6,1936 to Julius and Regina Soos. He passed away peacefully on Monday, July 1, 2024 in Hendersonville, NC, with loving family by his side.
He is survived by his wife Suzanne of Hendersonville, NC, son Jim (Christine) of Perkasie, PA, daughter Gina (Graham) of Perth, Australia, daughter Karen of Chicago, IL, and son Tim (Claire) of Boston, MA. He is also survived by six grand-children: Will, Alex (Brittany), Jessica (Morgan), Adam, Alexia, and Julianna. He was predeceased by his father Julius and mother Regina as well as by his brother Larry.
After graduating high school in Barrington, IL, Jim received a Ford Foundation Scholarship to attend Iowa State University, graduating with a BS in Electrical Engineering. He went on to receive an MS in Electrical Engineering from Rutgers University, a doctorate in Systems Science from Brooklyn Polytechnical Institute and was a MIT Sloan Fellow. Jim's professional career, both in federal service and in private industry, focused on research, development and support of communications within the US defense sector. He began his career as an electrical engineer and manager at Ft Monmouth, NJ and ended it in Washington, DC as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Command, Control and Communications. In between he moved to the private sector, serving in a number of executive positions at CMC Electronics in Eatontown, NJ; Cincinnati Electronics Corporation in Cincinnati, OH; and Canadian Marconi Company in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Upon his return to federal service, his activities included work with the US Partnership for Peace initiatives and the expansion of NATO. He retired from federal service in 1998.
His most adventurous job (from his family's perspective) was a move in 1976 to Brussels, Belgium where he spent three years as the US National Communications Expert supporting the US Mission at NATO. During this period, he, Suzanne and the family traveled throughout Europe, experiencing new cultures, learning about history and art, and discovering the joys of skiing, fine wines and good beer.
Jim was always active in his community wherever he lived. His activities were wide ranging: serving on professional boards, coaching youth sports, working to get tennis courts built in his local park, membership on town recreation and school boards, participating in the Lions Club, and serving in his local homeowners associations in NC. Jim will be remembered for his love of reading and his commitment to education, his loyalty to his work and devotion to his family, his passion for sports, painting, and enjoyment of a good party. His warmth and smile will be missed.
Donations in James' honor may be made to the Four Seasons Foundation (hospice care) in Hendersonville, NC [fourseasonsfdn.org] or the AAUW STEM Scholarship Fund at BRCC (AAUW, PO Box 2043, Hendersonville, NC 28793).