Walter E. Nervik

Walter E. Nervik, a Lab retiree and resident of Danville, died April 6. He was 86.

Nervik was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. on March 3, 1923, to John and Valborg Nervik.

A lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force, he served as a navigator during World War II. After the war, he attended UC Berkeley, earning a Ph.D. in chemistry. He worked as a nuclear chemist and administrator at LLNL for 35 years.

He had a passion for his work and developed deep and lasting friendships with his colleagues.

Golf was his recreational passion. He was a member of Castlewood Country Club and served as a board member and president. Rain or shine, it was common for him to play three rounds of golf a week.

He enjoyed listening to classical music, traveling, tending to his roses and cooking. His specialty was making croissants for New Year’s Day brunch. He loved the mountains, especially backpacking in the Sierra Nevada. He was an avid reader of anything scientific and always asked for “peace and quiet” as a gift.

Nervik is survived by his wife of 57 years, Marge; his brother, John Nervik, and sister, Edna MacIntyre; his son, Richard and wife Jo; and his daughter, Barbara and husband Ron; grandchildren, Kyle and Kendra Nervik, and Jennifer and Devin Whitmill. He was preceded in death by his sister, Doris Birkeland.

A celebration of life will be held Sunday, April 19, at 2:30 p.m. at the San Damiano Retreat, 710 Highland Drive, Danville. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the California Alumni Association-UC Berkeley Scholarship scholarships [at] alumni.berkeley.edu (Fund), Yosemite Fund, or The Diablo Symphony, P.O. Box 2222, Walnut Creek, CA 94595.