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Carlos Grande-Moran Obituary
SCHENECTADY - Carlos Humberto Grande-Moran passed away peacefully on Friday, April 18, 2025, after a brief illness. Born on July 19, 1950, in San Salvador, El Salvador, Carlos was the son of the late Carlos Grande and the late Linda Moran.
A lifetime member of IEEE, Carlos found his passion for engineering early in life, graduating with a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering from the Universidad de El Salvador. He received a full-ride scholarship from the Central Bank of El Salvador to come to the United States for his Master's in the summer of 1976. He went on to graduate from Iowa State University with a Master's in Electrical Engineering in December 1976. Shortly after, he received a Master's in Systems Engineering from the University of Virginia in the winter of 1977. Carlos returned to his home country for two years before returning to the U.S. in 1979, with a full-scholarship from Iowa State University, where he would complete his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering in 1982. He taught as an Assistant Professor in the Electrical Engineering Department at University of Texas El Paso from 1982-1987, then worked for the Harris Corporation in Melbourne, Fla., as a Principal Engineer from 1987-1990.
Carlos moved to Schenectady, where he would spend the rest of his life, and worked for General Electric from 1990-2000.
Carlos met his wife, Rebecca Draffen-Grande, in 1991, and would come to know her loving family as an extension of his own. They were married in September of 1993.
Carlos started working for Power Technology International, now Siemens PTI, in 2000, where he worked as a Principal Consultant until his final day. His colleagues, former students, and supervisors considered him to be one of the brightest, most passionate, conscientious, and selfless engineers at the company, his dedication and mentorship left an indelible mark on them. He was an inspiring leader, always pushing them to reach the highest standards that brought out the best in them.
Carlos was predeceased by his mother and father, Linda Moran and Carlos Grande; his brother, Oscar Eduardo Grande; and sister, Rina Eliza Grande.
He is survived by his wife, Rebecca Draffen-Grande; his three daughters, Ana Saavedra-Rodriguez, Camila Winfield Grande, and Elena Carolina Grande; his son, Carlos Guillermo Esquivel; and his sister, Elsa Dinora Flores (Victor).
Funeral service will be held on Monday, April 21, at 1:00 p.m., at the First Reformed Church of Schenectady.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Carlos Grande-Moran
Azi Shadman
April 28, 2025
I've known Carlos for over two years. Carlos and I worked in the same team, but unfortunately I never had the chance to work closely with him. I got to know Carlos through our weekly meeting, where he consistently advocated for fairness. I remember one meeting where he stood up for a team member who was in an unfair situation. That day, I realized how fortunate those people who worked closely with him were. Carlos wasn't just a project manager focused on completing tasks; he genuinely cared about his team's well-being, work pressure, and fairness. I, along with everyone who worked with him, miss him deeply. May his soul rest in peace.
Giovani Scarpati
April 28, 2025
I had the immense pleasure of working with Dr. Carlos Grande since 2023, and I can say that it was a fantastic experience, where I had the opportunity to learn a lot from him, and I was able to observe what everyone always said: Carlos is a fantastic professor!! I deeply regret losing him, but I know he is up there looking out for all of us!
My sincere condolences to your family.
Alkesh Patel
April 28, 2025
Over the past 13 years, I´ve spent countless hours with Carlos-engaging professionally in complex technical discussions and personally on topics close to the heart: health, mindfulness, humanity, and family. I'd like to share a few memories that capture the essence of who he was.
During a visit to Ellis Hospital a few weeks ago, I was shocked to see Carlos in such a fragile state-something I´m still trying to fully comprehend. Yet, the very first thing he said to me was, "I sent an email to a team member-please make sure they reply urgently, the client can´t wait." I told him, "Carlos, please take care of yourself first-get better, don´t worry about work right now." That moment reaffirmed for me just how deeply passionate and committed he was to his profession.
I also remember when I visited him about two years ago at Saratoga Hospital when he was admitted. We spent nearly two hours talking. He opened up about his pain and struggles in accepting his situation. While I couldn´t offer direct advice, I shared some of my own perspectives-how I view life´s challenges and try to navigate through them. I hoped it would help him find some peace and healing. When I met him later, I saw a noticeable change in his outlook-something that made me feel our conversation had truly resonated with him.
My relationship with Carlos was always rooted in deep respect-perhaps in part because he was of the same age as my father. He often encouraged me to marry soon, offering his life experience and wisdom in a way that carried genuine warmth and care.
Throughout our long tenure at Siemens PTI, I had the privilege of working closely with Carlos on numerous complex technical projects and collaborating on various training courses. Carlos was not only an exceptional engineer, but also a gifted teacher, a generous mentor, and a truly remarkable human being. He played a pivotal role in shaping my career. His wisdom, guidance, and unwavering dedication left a lasting impact on me.
Carlos will be deeply missed, but his legacy-of knowledge, compassion, and mentorship-will continue to inspire me and everyone who had the honor of knowing him.
My thoughts and prayers are with Carlos family and friends during this difficult time.
Rest in peace, Carlos!
Gunar Konrad
April 28, 2025
Sincerest condolences to the family of Carlos Grande-Moran. I was lucky enough to work with Carlos in our projects in Siemens Energy. He always helped us and provided a great support. He will be missed.
Joe Chow
April 27, 2025
I got to know Carlos when I took a sabbatical from RPI in 1993 to come back to GE Consulting to work on FACTS projects. Carlos was a hard working engineer and spoke his mind. He was also a lot of fun. I was honored to be at his wedding to Becky, whose father used to work with my wife and lived in our neighborhood. I remembered that it took place at The Inn at Saratoga. George Boukarim was also there. Lots of fond memories. I am glad that I talked to Elena before she left RPI. It was sad to see Carlos leave us so soon. My deepest condolences to Carlos' family.
Stanley Mack
April 23, 2025
Sincerest condolences to the family of Carlos Grande-Moran. I knew him as "Dr. Carlos" because he was a learned professional and expert in the field of power technology. He never hesitated to share his vast knowledge and was a valued colleague within Siemens. Dr. Carlos will be truly missed! May the family thoughts be filled with countless, loving memories.
Sarat Chandra Vegunta
April 23, 2025
It was a privilege and an honor to be Carlos´ manager at Siemens PTI. Although I´ve known him for three years, I feel like I´ve known him for a long time.
In what often feels like an age of increasing chaos, individuals like Carlos remind us of the vital importance of being defenders of good standards and our collective responsibility to cultivate, maintain, and champion those standards within our respective fields and in the societies we inhabit. In that context, I am often reminded of the idea that we should work our hardest during times of peace, not just in times of conflict.
As I reflect on Carlos's life and his significant contributions, I find myself asking what changes I should make in my own life to leave a positive mark on the world, both for those living now and for generations to come.
I will forever cherish the time I had with Carlos and the invaluable lessons he imparted. He will be deeply missed.
Don Dharmapala
April 22, 2025
May God bless you and your family during this difficult time. I had the privilege of attending Carlos' lunch and learn session, where I witnessed firsthand his incredible knowledge and expertise. His passing is a profound loss for Siemens PTI, and he will be greatly missed by all who had the honor of knowing him.
Renee Devine
April 22, 2025
My sincere condolences to your family. I remember the first day I met Carlos at the old PTI office in Schenectady. We had many lunch-time conversations on ways we could improve this or that. Dedicated to his work and to the many students he touched through is Advanced Dynamic Simulation course at the Siemens/PTI Power Academy, he will be remembered by the legacy he leaves in his children and the work he was so dedicated to.
Mary Ellen Shea
April 22, 2025
I'm so sorry to hear of Carlos' passing. I enjoyed working with him in the Power Academy at PTI. He always made extra time for the students to answer questions and serve as a mentor. He was kind, patient, and a valuable member of the PTI team. He will be missed.
Lengcheng Huang
April 21, 2025
It has been an honor to work with Carlos for over 20 years. He was always kind, supportive, and willing to lend a hand whenever I needed assistance. Carlos truly embodied the PTI tradition of collaboration and mutual support, consistently going above and beyond to help others. He will be deeply missed.
Rohit Kumar
April 21, 2025
Rest in peace, Carlos.
Thank you for being a kind human being, a learned engineer and a great mentor. I was Carlos' sidekick when we used to teach advanced engineering courses to folks around the world. I am truly grateful for everything Carlos taught me. You will be greatly missed!
PS: I still have the fond memory of our last lunch at the Moroccan place.
Hugo Bashualdo
April 21, 2025
Rest in peace dear friend Carlos, with no question you left a long-lasting legacy of dedication and passion to your work and your family.
Vijay Vittal
April 21, 2025
Carlos and I were classmates during our PhD at Iowa State University in 1979. We took several common courses and knew each other well. I had met Carlos at various IEEE meetings and when I visiting Schenedtady a long time ago for a PSERC meeting. He was wonderfuly human being, soft spoken and kind. He will be missed.
Swati Rath
April 21, 2025
It was such a privilege working with Carlos. Although, I have known Carlos for a brief 6 years, he was an excellent engineer and a terrific mentor. His knowledge and expertise on Power Systems was unparalleled.
My condolences to the family. He will be dearly missed.
JIm Feltes
April 21, 2025
I´ve known Carlos since he joined PTI in 2000. It was an honor and pleasure to interact with him over the last 25 years in a wide variety of projects and courses.
He was an excellent engineer, able to tackle complex projects in areas that he was an expert in such as power system stability and controls, short circuit calculations, power system restoration and generator design, but also able to investigate problems where there was no experience and the investigations required novel thinking and understanding. His ability to explain complex power system subjects in an understandable manner will be remembered by the many hundreds of students he trained in the courses he taught.
But as much as I enjoyed, and learned, from our engineering discussions, I also fondly remember our discussions on a wide variety of non-work topics, including when he would talk very proudly of his family and the latest accomplishments of the children.
He was a good friend and will be greatly missed.
Olga Esquivel
April 21, 2025
I am sorry for your loss
Ram Nath
April 20, 2025
Dear Becky,
I was heartbroken to hear about Carlos´s passing. Please accept my deepest condolences during this difficult time.
I had the privilege of knowing Carlos since I joined PTI in 2008. Over the years, I met him several times during my visits to Schenectady, and every interaction with him left a lasting impression. Carlos was always kind, approachable, and generous in sharing his knowledge.
Working alongside him on several projects, I was continually impressed by his depth of expertise and dedication. Beyond being a remarkable colleague, Carlos was also a friend I deeply valued. I will miss his presence and the thoughtful conversations we shared.
Please know that my thoughts are with you and your family. If there is anything I can do to support you during this time, do not hesitate to reach out.
With heartfelt sympathy,
Ram Nath
Sami Abdulsalam
April 19, 2025
Carlos was a great friend. My sincere condolences to the family.
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