Lee Langan

1932 - 2023

Lee Langan
July 29, 1932 - August 20, 2023
Leon "Lee" Verdin Langan of San Francisco passed away at home on 20 August 2023 at the age of 91. Cause of death was leukemia. Lee was born near St. Louis, Missouri on 29 July 1932 to Leon Verdin Langan, Sr. and Mary Caroline Gross Langan, raised in St. Louis and later Gallup, New Mexico. Always curious and adventurous by nature, Lee was an explorer of life, seeking new experiences and answers to important questions.
Following graduation from Gallup High School, he was enrolled in the University of New Mexico, earning a bachelor's degree in geology in 1953. Summers were spent with the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, establishing first-order triangulation markers on peaks in the Southwest and Alaska. After serving as an Army intelligence officer during the Korean War, Lee moved to California to earn a Master of Science in Mineral Economics from Stanford University in 1958.
While employed by Varian Associates, one of the first high-tech companies in Silicon Valley, he introduced proton-free precession magnetometry, used to detect very small variations in the Earth's magnetic field both at sea and ashore. Lee established Environmental Measurements, Inc. (EMI) in 1968, designing and manufacturing specialized measuring instruments. He made many longtime friends on his frequent travels to Europe, collaborating on projects. He was an accomplished photographer and journalist.
In 1970, with his three children, Chris, Kathy, and Mari, Lee married Karine Marie Bowlen with her two sons, John and James, and together they had Oliver and Susan. Karine was the love of his life, encouraged his curiosity, and was always by his side. Lee was a devoted father to their children, encouraging them in their many varied pursuits and showing interest in their activities. Through the 1970s, he dedicated time to The Guardsmen, a group of young San Francisco professionals focused on helping disadvantaged Bay Area children.
A devotee of exploration and science, he was part of an expedition hiking Mt. Olympus, Greece, seeking evidence of the Greek Gods. In 1999, Lee joined The Explorers Club, a multidisciplinary, professional society dedicated to the advancement of field research, scientific exploration, and resource conservation. He participated in several expeditions to Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico to explore and document Mayan ruins. Lee held leadership roles for The Explorers Club Northern California chapter before serving multiple terms on the club's international board of directors. Lee also served on several committees and was editor-in-chief of The Explorers Log and The Explorers Club 50, the publications committee chair, and a Sweeney Medalist.
Lee was preceded in death by his parents, a sister Martha Lytton (Langan) Waters, and a grandson, Dennis Robertson. He is survived by his wife Karine and seven children: Christopher Langan of Kamuela, Hawaii; Kathryn Robertson of Jackson, Wyoming; Mari Langan Berg of Eugene, Oregon; John Lawton Haehl of Morgan Hill, California; James Langan of Reno, Nevada; Oliver Langan of Los Gatos, California; and Susan Langan of Berlin, Germany. Lee is survived by a sister, Mary Caroline "Jane" Carty, six grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren.
Lee will be missed by everyone who had the pleasure of his friendship. To share a memory, please contact remembering-lee@langan.net. A selection will be shared online at lee.langan.net for all to appreciate.