Peter Moulthrop

Peter Moulthrop, a Lab retiree and resident of Oakland, died June 2. He was 87.

Born in Berkeley on April 7, 1926, he grew up in Oakland, graduating from Castlemont High School. He enlisted in the Navy at age 17. He served as a radioman on the USS Putnam in the Pacific during World War II. When he returned from the Navy, he enrolled at the University of California Berkeley, receiving a bachelor's degree in 1950 and a Ph.D in 1955, both in physics.

Moulthrop worked at LLNL for 39 years, retiring in 1994. He was a dedicated and valued Lab employee, serving as a designer of large weapons in A division and as the head of A division in the 1960s. In the later part of his career, he worked on renewable energy, treaty verification and workforce diversity.

In retirement, he enjoyed travel, church activities and spending time with his children and grandchildren. He was a loyal supporter of Cal Berkeley, and many other organizations that promoted the welfare and education of the next generation.

He is survived by his wife of 29 years, Lela; his children, Lisa, Calvin, Andrew and Becky; daughter-in-law, Ok Lae; and grandchildren, Hannah, Phoebe and Amy. Elisabeth Lenore Heald, Peter's first wife and mother of his children, died in 2007.