Roy C. Amara

Roy C. Amara 82, died peacefully surrounded by his loving wife and children, Dec. 31, 2007. Roy graduated with honors from a Boston, MA, high school in June 1942. He began college at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) but left MIT in 1944 to join the U. S. Navy in WWII until he was honorably discharged in June 1946. After the war, he finished his studies at MIT and graduated with a BS in Business and Engineering Administration in June 1948. Roy used the GI Bill to help finance his studies at the Harvard University School of arts and science and graduated with a MA in teaching science, June 1949. In 1948 Roy met Margaret Terestre and they married in July 1949. The couple moved to California where Roy worked three years as a physics, algebra, and geometry teacher at Sequoia Union High School in Redwood City, CA. In 1952, Roy began an 18-year career at Stanford Research Institute (SRI), Menlo Park. He started in engineering and ended his SRI career as a vice president of Institute Programs. During this same period Roy earned a Ph D in electrical engineering from Stanford University in 1958. In 1971 Roy went to work as one of the founding members, president and CEO of Institute for the Future (IFTF), Palo Alto, Roy was the leader of IFTF through 1990 as it explored emerging technologies, global business trends, and the future of health care. He led one of the first studies of global climate changes in 1977. Among his accomplishments, Roy established IFTF's annual Ten Year Forecast, now in its 35th year. After retiring in 1992 Roy mentored IFTF staff as the president emeritus, senior research fellow, and advisor. Roy published nearly 40 articles in scientific journals and co-authored two books - Looking Ahead at American Health Care (1988) and Business Planning for an Uncertain Future (1983). Roy was an avid walker and hiker, tennis player, and swimmer. He took particular pleasure in spending time with his children and extended family. Roy's quiet humor, warm and gentle personality and broad smile will be greatly missed by family and friends. Roy will be remembered for being a caring father and loving husband, a cutting-edge scientist, and efficient executive manager. He was a forecaster, strategic planner and decision consultant renowned in his field. Roy is survived by his wife, Margaret of almost 59 years; son, Mark and daughter-in-law, Margaret and granddaughter, Kelsey; son, Dirk, and daughter-in-law, Sandy and grandchildren, Audrey, Andrew, Lee, and Anthony; and daughter, Christine and son-in-law, Jim. A Memorial Celebration of Roy Amara's Life will be held at The Sequoias Retirement Community Lounge, 501 Portola Road, Portola Valley, CA, on Saturday, February 2, 2008 from 3 PM to 5 PM. Contributions in Roy Amara's name may be made to the Mid Peninsula Regional Open Space District, 330 Distel Circle, Los Altos, CA 94022-1404.