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Bruce Garr Oldfield ’45

Bruce grew up in Milwaukie, Oregon, and earned a BA from Reed in physics. His thesis, advised by Prof. A.A. Knowlton [physics 1915–48], was on ice crystal formation. Following graduation, he worked at the U.S. Naval Ordnance Test Station in China Lake, California, and was sent on by the navy to Harvard for a graduate program in computing. He completed an MS in 1948 and continued to work for the navy and then IBM. Working in the company’s federal systems division, he participated in the early space program. He led a computing system project for NHK Broadcasting in Japan, and ended his career with IBM as director of the systems engineering division for IBM Europe. Bruce and Martha Kenyon married in 1958 and had five children, three sons and two daughters. They settled in Washington in 1989. Bruce purchased a cherry orchard, which he managed with one of his sons. He played golf, and Bruce and Martha achieved life master status in bridge. “Bruce will be remembered for his larger-than-life personality and his determination to live life to the fullest.” Survivors include his wife and children and five grandchildren.

Appeared in Reed magazine: December 2015