Ernest H. Lorbeer

Ernest (Ernie) H. Lorbeer died Oct. 31. He was 91.

Lorbeer was born in Pasumali, India on Feb. 13, 1925, to missionary parents Elva and Lloyd Lorbeer. The family returned to Claremont, California on a sabbatical when Ernie was 14 years old. He and his sister remained in California when their parents returned to their work there in 1939. After serving in the Navy during WWII, Lorbeer graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in mechanical engineering.

He was proud of being awarded membership in Tau Alpha Pi, an honorary engineering fraternity. He then worked for Pacific Telephone Company for several years before being “borrowed” by Bell Telephone Laboratories in Murray Hill, New Jersey to do work on research and development there. It was there that he met his soon-to-be wife, Betty. They were married on Sept. 6, 1952 and moved to California in 1954. A year after returning to San Francisco, Lorbeer joined the staff at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore (then known as the Radiation Lab), working there in several different departments until his retirement in December 1999.

Lorbeer is survived by his wife of 64 years, Betty; daughter, Laura; son, Scott; daughter-in-law, Christina; and granddaughters, Angelica and Beth.

A memorial service was held at the First Presbyterian Church in Livermore.