Born on October 18, 1926, in Vienna, Austria, Dr. Kurt Amboss passed away peacefully at the age of 99 on October 19 in Palm Desert. He had lost his family home on Haverford in the Palisades Fire.
Kurt was a dedicated family man, brilliant physicist, musician and outdoorsman. His early life was charted by the threat of the Second World War. As a Jewish child, he was one of the thousands rescued by the Kindertransport (Project Kinder), which relocated thousands of children from Nazi-controlled territories to safety in Great Britain.
He lived in a boy’s home from ages 12 to 14, essentially as an orphan, and became self-supporting when he was 14. This experience forged an extraordinary resilience and determination that defined his life.
In 1944, Kurt became a Naturalized citizen of Great Britain. Thanks to the help of his dear friends Heather and Robin Tanner, Kurt was able to prepare for and pass entrance examinations for university with no formal education.
Kurt put himself through college, ultimately earning a Ph.D. in physics from the University of London in 1959. His professional career included work at institutions such as Sylvania electronics, and Hughes Aircraft at both the Malibu Research Lab and Hughes Torrence labs, where he made valuable contributions in his field.
He was sought out internationally, as an expert in his field and spent one year teaching graduate level physics at the University of Tel Aviv.
Kurt’s life-time work included numerous patents owned by Hughes Aircraft. He was the inventor of several patents related to electron guns, which are crucial components in various electronic devices, including traveling-wave tubes (TWTs) and cathode ray tubes.
With TWTs his work focused heavily on improving the efficiency and functionality of TWTs, which are high-frequency amplifiers used in communication satellites and radar systems.
He developed improved manufacturing techniques and components for creating robust, vacuum-tight seals in high-tech equipment.
With a patent for “Electron beam microfabrication apparatus and method” Kurt contributed to the technology used in manufacturing microchips and other small-scale electronics,
His publications in NASA experimental records further amplified his standing as an internationally sought-after expert in his field.
In the late 1950’s he met and married Carin Berggren and moved to California, where the couple would have to have two daughters, Monica Elizabeth and Julie Margit.
After divorcing, Kurt met and married Phyllis Thompson, who has been his lifelong love for more than 50 years. In 1989, he became a naturalized citizen of the United States.
Beyond his scientific achievements, Dr. Amboss was a true renaissance man, a good Samaritan who spent his retirement years volunteering with the American Red Cross and quietly feeding the homeless.
He had a variety of cherished talents and interests. He was just at home reciting a limerick by Ogden Nash as building a patio cover. He was an accomplished classical piano player, and a passionate outdoorsman, who enjoyed rock climbing the cliffs of the English coast, as a young man.
Later in life he could be found on horseback in Malibu, camping, or cross-country skiing in the mountains. In his later years, he devoted time to gardening at his home on Haverford Avenue. His yard was featured in one of the Pacific Palisades Garden Tours
He is survived by his beloved wife, Phyllis Amboss, his two daughters, Monica, and Julie, and a stepdaughter, Sharon. He also leaves behind nine grandchildren: Aaron, Amanda, Ashley, Annika, Mia, Lily, Jimmy Jr., Stephen and Jason. And six great-grandchildren: Kailey, Karley, Eva, Sunnie, Lucy and June. He leaves behind a legacy of overcoming adversity, intellectual curiosity, compassion, humor and a deep appreciation for the arts and nature.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in his name to the American Red Cross.