Dr. Stephen Marc Gilbert, of Huntsville, passed away Saturday after a battle with ALS. His parents, Michael and Ester Gilbert, preceded him in death. He was born in Belle Harbor, Long Island and lived there until entering West Orange High School in New Jersey. He graduated from the New Jersey Institute of Technology with a B.S.E.E. degree. After graduation, he accepted a Howard Hughes Masters Fellowship to attend the University of Southern California and worked at Hughes Aircraft Company under the supervision of Mr. Hughes. He graduated with a M.S.E.E. degree at the top of his class and accepted a Cornell University Aeronautics Fellowship. While at Cornell, his studies and research were supported by Michael Faraday, the Ford Foundation, and National Science Foundation fellowships. He completed his studies at Cornell with Doctorates in Mathematics and Electrical Engineering and began his industrial career at Bell Telephone Laboratories as a Specialist in Radar for Ballistic Missile Defense. He was a member of the Tau Beta Pi, Eta Kappa Nu, Sigma Xi, and Phi Kappa Phi honor societies.
In 1971, when Bell Laboratories elected to terminate its defense activities, Dr. Gilbert joined Teledyne Brown Engineering in Huntsville as the Head of the Radar and Systems Department, specializing in Ballistic Missile Defense.
In 1974, he Co-Founded Dynetics, Inc. and has remained an employee-owner ever since. In this position, he directed technical performance studies spanning the spectrum from basic analytical technologies to broad-based systems analysis at the highest corporate levels. This technical spectrum supported efforts and prototype hardware investigations into the areas of radar signal processing, optics, ECN/ECCM, MM radars, and target detection/target discrimination techniques. Throughout his career, Dr. Gilbert maintained strong teaching responsibilities at Cornell University, Fairleigh Dickenson University, and the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
Stephen was an accomplished athlete and achieved the rank of Internationally Certified Master in Martial arts and was award winning bicycle racer. He loved boating, fishing and was a devoted Skeet shooter. He was an active Master Mason member of both Helion #1 and Renaissance #933 Lodges.
He leaves behind his wife and best friend of 55 years, Susan; two devoted sons, Scott (Amie Hope) of Huntsville and Dr. Robert (Michelle) of Trussville; brother, Dr. Richard (Sandra) of Oakland, California; and grandchildren, Dillon, Stephanie, and Danielle.
Heartfelt thank you to Amy Bailey, R.N. for her loving care; the staff of Southern Care Hospice; Dr. Aruna Arora and Sherry Kolodziejczak; and the outstanding clinical team at the ALS Care Clinic for the support and compassion showed to Stephen during his illness.
A memorial service will be at 1:00 p.m. Thursday at Laughlin Service Funeral Home Chapel with the Rabbi Rami Shapiro officiating. Burial will be in Maple Hill Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the ALS Association, Alabama Chapter, 300 Cahaba Park Circle, Suite 209, Birmingham, AL 35242 or Steady for Life, Inc., 990 Gilstead Circle, Huntsville, AL 35803 or a charity of your choice.
