Dr. David Leroy Hetrick

1927 - 2014

Dr. David Leroy Hetrick Distinguished professor of Nuclear Engineering at the University of Arizona, passed away on January 13, 2014. He was born on January 26, 1927, in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in physics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and his Ph.D. in theoretical physics from the University of California at Los Angeles. His definitive textbook, Dynamics of Nuclear Reactors, was published in 1971. He served for 28 years as an administrative judge for the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission and as a consultant in nuclear reactor dynamics and reactor safety. He was a member of the Arizona Commission on Judicial Performance Review and received awards for his service to minority students in science and engineering. He retired from the University of Arizona in 1992. He will be remembered for his dedication to his students, his community service, his sense of humor, and his ethics and integrity. He is survived by his beloved family, Margaret (Peggy), wife of 65 years; daughters, Carol Hetrick, Nancy Hetrick, and Amy Jacobs; grandsons, Benjamin Rosser and Jonathan Jacobs and nieces, Shirley Reed, Nancy Bowes, and Diane Vartigan. A private celebration of his life will be held. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Tucson Humane Society or the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum. Arrangements by ADAIR FUNERAL HOME, Dodge Chapel.