Information and Photo Courtesy Jowdy-Kane Funeral Home

RIDGEFIELD, CT — Jeffrey Stewart Schweitzer passed away unexpectedly on May 31, 2022, at age 76. A Ridgefield resident since 1974, he is survived by his wife of nearly 52 years, Judy, and by their daughter, Jill Schweitzer (spouse John Gronberg).

Jeff was born in Manhattan to Bertha (Shavin) and Benjamin Schweitzer. He graduated from the Bronx High School of Science in 1963, Carnegie Mellon University (then Carnegie Institute of Technology) with a B.S. in Physics in 1967, and a Ph.D. from Purdue University in Nuclear Physics in 1972. In 1974, after a post-doctoral appointment at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, he joined Schlumberger-Doll Research in Ridgefield as a Scientific Advisor until 1996. From 1997 to the present, he was on the faculty of the University of Connecticut Physics Dept. as a research professor where, in addition to research in both astrophysics and geophysics, he was major professor for three Ph.D. candidates and the M.S. advisor for three others. He mentored several other students and taught undergraduate physics for several years at the university's Waterbury campus. He also maintained a scientific consulting business.

Among his overlapping roles, Jeff was a Visiting Scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center from 1986 until his death. Among his favorite projects there, he was a member of the team that was developing planetary measurement systems to make improved elemental analysis possible from orbit, from landers, and on rovers. The first major mission to demonstrate these capabilities was the NEAR Shoemaker mission to orbit the S-type near-Earth asteroid 433 Eros, launched in Feb. 1996, which contained an X-ray/gamma-ray spectrometer developed by the group. After making measurements at different orbital heights around Eros, the mission was briefly extended to see if the satellite could make a soft landing on the surface. The landing was successful, and measurements were made on the surface of Eros, the first time that data was obtained both from orbit and after landing with the same instrument. This team later consulted for the National Institute of Justice on developing forensic science instruments, especially a gunshot-residue detection system that, using technology developed by NASA for the space program, could be used at crime scenes. Other work included a project for the FBI uncovering fraudulent construction practices and proposals for other planetary missions.

At Goddard he was commended for helping to establish an outdoor, remotely operated experimental facility that improved the ability to show competence of applications for planetary missions. At his death he was a consultant on a mission (Dragonfly) being planned to land on Saturn's moon Titan and on another project to develop a self-operating elemental analyzer to be used on future missions to the moon.

Jeff's interest in low-energy physics frequently got him invited to participate in many varied research projects. He was a principal investigator in a cement physics research initiative, initially for the U.S. Department of Transportation, which was exploring ways to use nanotechnology developed for space missions in its construction projects. He was also invited to work on land-mine detectors, a detector that could improve dating of paintings, and several medical imaging proposals. He has consulted for many corporations and government entities, both in the U.S. and overseas. He was a consultant for the International Atomic Energy Agency from the mid 1980s to 2010 and had been a visiting professor at the Universite Catholique de Louvain. He was an author on 130 professional journal papers, the last one in 2018 in Phys Rev C. He also holds 15 patents in areas of oil and gas exploration and evaluation and in gamma-ray detector improvements and industrial applications. In 1987 he was recruited to be an editor of the journal Nuclear Geophysics, now Applied Radiation and Isotopes, and continued until his death.

Jeff had been a member of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation when it was in West Redding. He was a volunteer for the Soccer Club of Ridgefield, a shelf reader for the Ridgefield Library mystery book holdings, and a 20-year member of the Ridgefield Community Garden and served on its board for many years. He was a judge for local high school science fairs and an assistant coach for youth basketball and soccer teams. Jeff loved playing golf for its camaraderie. He loved UConn basketball teams, both women's and men's, and he was an endlessly enthusiastic sports dad and school supporter. He considered mentoring to be among his highest callings. He delighted in life's details, from food to viewing and creating art.

Jeff was predeceased by his parents and by his sister, Marlene. He is survived by a loving and joyous extended family and by many friends and colleagues all over the world, and he cherished them all. Judy and Jill remember him as a generous, kind, calm, and supportive husband and father who filled their lives with love and a call to live with purpose. There were no services.

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