Michael Meltzer

1946 - 2015

Michael Paul Meltzer

December 19, 1946 - February 8, 2015

Michael Paul Meltzer, son of Harold and Henrietta Meltzer, grew up in Fresh Meadows, NY, and died unexpectedly in Oakland, CA on February 8. Michael is lovingly remembered by wife Norma (Naisa) Kaufman, daughter Jordana, father Harold, brother Jonathan, sister Deborah, and many other relatives and friends. Michael was predeceased by mother Henrietta (Roth) Meltzer. Michael had a zest for life, a child's enthusiasm for learning, and a tremendous love for family and friends. From the moment four-year old 'Mikey' gazed up in wonder at the stars during his first planetarium trip, to when he was licensed at nine years old as Long Island's youngest ham radio operator, to his winning first place 40 years later in a national Writers of the Future contest, Michael never stopped growing, wondering, exploring, and deeply inspiring every person he knew. Michael earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from UC Berkeley and his doctorate in environmental engineering from UCLA. As a socially conscious scientist, Michael started the pollution prevention program at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where he worked for 15 years and collaborated on several patents. He published books about solar heating and commercial fishing, wrote three space science books for NASA, and created many wondrous stories, books and screenplays. Of Michael's many accomplishments, the one he was most proud of, that he shared with his wife, was their wonderful daughter, Jordana. Michael's memory is a blessing that will forever be cherished by all those he touched. Donations may be made to Congregation Netivot Shalom, 1316 University Ave., Berkeley, CA.