Obituaries

["Ron L. Kathren" <rkathren@tricity.wsu.edu>]

It is with considerable sadness that I report to the members of RadSafe the
deaths of two of the senior members of the health physics community, John J.
Jech and William C. Roesch this past week in Richland.  Both had been long
time members of the Health Physics Society and certified health physicsts
and members of the American Academy of Health Physics.

Bill Roesch earned a PhD is physics from CalTech and spent vitually his
entire active career at Hanford, first with General Electric and then with
its sucessor, Battelle Memorial Institute.  A long time contributor and one
time manager of the Radiological Physics group at Hanford,  deservedly
achieved an international reputation for his contributions to radiation
dosimetry, and in particular to the now renewed area of microdosimetry.  The
four volume set of books "Radiation Dosimetry", which he coedited with Frank
Attix and Gene Tochilin, was for many years the standard reference in the
field.  A quiet and scholarly man, Bill served as an affiliate faculty
member at the University of Washington, teaching radiation dosimetry in the
radiological sciences program.  He was always willing to devote his
considerable expertise to helping others solve problems, and would willingly
interrupt his own activities to assist others.   Bill served on numerous
national and international committees making his contributions in a low key
but highly effective manner.

Johnny Jech spent virtually his entire active career in operational health
physics.   Early in his career, he worked for General Electric in Milwaukie,
and developed  a close working relationship with the late E. Dale Trout, on
of the most prominent early figures in the health physics professoion.  For
many years John served as the senior individual contributor and later
manager of the personnel dosimetry program at the Hanford site, publishing a
number of papers, including one in collaboration with Ken Heid on practical
assessment of plutonium intakes that some three plus decades later is still
widely cited in the literature.   Subsequently John served a manager of
radiation monitoring, introducing numerous important changes into a stagnant
program and earning the respect and admiration of colleagues and
subordinates for his low key approach to the solution of difficult technical
and administrative problems.  He was much loved by his staff.  John was
active in the Columbia Chapter of the HPS and served as its President.   A
native Washingtonian and alumnus of the University of Washington, John was
an avid Husky  fan and golfer.

Both of these fine health physicists will be missed.  Over the years it was
my privilege and pleasure to have known both well and to have worked with
them; they were characterized not only by intelligence and the highest
degree of personal and professional integrity, but by their strong devotion
to the profession of health physics.  They were the kind of people that we
seek out and whose company we greatly enjoy.    With their passing, the
health physics community has lost  two more members of 'the old school',
those health physicists who were the architechts and builders of our modern
profession.

Ron Kathren

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