Victor Rotberg

Victor Hanin Rotberg, age 79, of Ann Arbor, Michigan, passed away peacefully on November 11, 2025.

Victor was born on May 8, 1946, in São Paulo, Brazil, to Abrahão Rotberg and Tobey (Thelma) Hanin Rotberg. He spent his early years in Brazil and also cherished a formative year living with his maternal grandparents in Brooklyn, New York.

A lifelong scholar and scientist, Victor earned his Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics from the University of São Paulo in 1979. His postdoctoral work took him to Abingdon and Manchester, England, before returning to Brazil. In 1984, Victor moved to the United States, followed soon after by his family. He went on to lead a distinguished career as manager of the Michigan Ion Beam Laboratory (MIBL) for Surface Modification and Analysis at the University of Michigan, where his expertise, mentorship, and dedication left a lasting legacy.

Victor loved music, travel, food, and chess. A talented musician, he played clarinet, flute, and saxophone, and was an active member of the Saline New Horizons Band and other ensembles. He was also an accomplished chess player and a devoted traveler, particularly drawn to the beauty and culture of Italy.

Victor is survived by his beloved wife, Marilyn Marie Rotberg, whom he married on May 28, 2000; his children, Anna Victoria Rotberg (Ari) Molofsky and their children, Eliana and Max, and David (Krystal) Rotberg and their children, Eden, Eli, Ewan, and Ethan; his former spouse and the mother of his children, Leila Charlesworth; and his stepson, Mark Zimmerman. He is also survived by his sisters, Isa Rotberg and Dina (Rotberg) Tomchinsky.

He was preceded in death by his son, Daniel Rotberg (1975–2012).

Victor's memory is a blessing to all those who knew and loved him.