Adolf Eduard Oberth

OBERTH, Dr. Adolf
Eduard
A world renowned propellant chemist, died on October 24, 2007 after a four year struggle with prostate cancer. Born December 29, 1928 in Medias, Romania, he grew up in Germany during World War II, first living in Dresden and then in Nuremburg, seeing combat duty in the German Army during the final years of the war. After the war, he studied chemistry, first at the Philosophic Theological College in Regensburg, Germany and then at the Institute of Technology in Munich, Germany where he received his doctorate in chemistry. In 1952 he married Helga Mattejat, with whom he had three children: Michael, Eva (now deceased) and Christine. The only surviving son of Prof. Hermann Oberth, one of the original pioneers of modern rocketry, Adolf followed his fathers footsteps into the rocket business by immigrating with his family to the United States in 1957, moving to Sacramento, California in 1960 to work for Aerojet as a rocket propellant chemist. There he formulated high energy rocket propellants, many of which are currently used in our nations missiles. During his career he was awarded over 20 patents and he published over 30 technical papers. His book, "Principles of Solid Propellant Development", was first published in 1986 and is still a much sought after text for aspiring propellant chemists. In 1985 he was the recipient of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Wyld Propulsion Award for his pioneering work in the development of bonding agents for solid rocket propellants. In 2001 Adolf remarried to Valentina Krmova, 11 years after the death of his first wife Helga. In addition to his career and family, Adolf was devoted to the outdoors and loved sports. On most weekends he took his family and friends on a never ending series of mountaineering expeditions, skiing trips, bicycle tours, scuba dives and whitewater boating trips. Adolfs gruff humor, honesty, intelligence and kindness will be sorely missed by all who knew him. Surviving are his sister Erna Roth-Oberth in Feucht, Germany, his second wife Valentina Oberth in Rescue Calif., his son Michael Oberth and wife Lise and their two boys Bjoern and Leif in Lincoln, Calif., his daughter Christine Oberth, and her two children Linnea Delucchi and Matteo Delucchi in Fair Oaks, Calif., and son in law Robert Ueltzen, and his three daughters, Alexi, Eryka and Tayma, also of Fair Oaks. A wake will be held at Christine Oberth's home on Sunday, November 4, at 3:00 p.m.