James Herbert Foote

James Herbert Foote, a long-time resident of Livermore and a Lab retiree, died May 3. He was 80.

Born in Tacoma, Wash., on Dec. 13, 1929, he resided in Livermore for almost 50 years. He also lived in Snohomish, Wash. and in Santa Paula, Walnut Creek, and Berkeley, Calif.

After graduating from Santa Paula Union High School, he attended the University of California at Berkeley, graduating with highest honors in physics. He also earned a Ph.D. in physics at UC Berkeley, where his graduate thesis adviser was Nobel Laureate Owen Chamberlain.

He was employed at LLNL for more than 33 years as an experimental physicist in the Magnetic Fusion Energy program. He specialized in measurements of plasma characteristics with complex diagnostic equipment and in related computer applications and analysis. He worked on such experiments as ALICE, Baseball I and II, 2XIIB, TMX, TMX Upgrade and MTX. He was a member of the American Physical Society and retired from LLNL in 1994.

Over the years, he pedaled more than 50,000 miles on his Schwinn bicycle while commuting and doing errands. He made 86 blood donations throughout his life.

Foote and his wife Caroline lived in Japan for several months in 1987 while he worked at the Gamma 10 tandem-mirror MFE experiment in Tsukuba.

In retirement, they enjoyed numerous foreign trips as well as summers at Puget Sound, Wash. In earlier years, they often camped, hiked and backpacked with their children.

The family attained the summit of Mt. Whitney when Foote was almost 60. He and his wife were founding members of the Valley Social Dance Club and continued to be active dancers in retirement.

Foote was preceded in death by his wife of almost 55 years, Caroline Foote. He is survived by his daughter, Joan Hebert and son-in-law Alan Hebert of Menlo Park; son, Marc Foote and daughter-in-law Sally Foote of La Crescenta; grandchildren, Weston, Logan and Aidan Foote; siste,r Clara Duff of Tacoma, Wash.; and nephews, Jeff and Jim Duff.

Services will be private.

Contributions may be made in Foote’s name to Asbury United Methodist Church in Livermore, to Heifer International or to a philanthropic organization of one’s choice.