John Alexander Neff

September 5, 1942 – February 23, 2025

John A. Neff of Boulder passed away peacefully on February 23, 2025, at BCH Boulder, following a brief battle with cancer. He was 82 years old.

Born on September 5, 1942, in Bellaire, Ohio, John was the beloved son of Ralph A. Neff and Virda Taylor Neff. He graduated from Shadyside High School in Shadyside, Ohio, and pursued higher education at Ohio Wesleyan University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in physics and mathematics in 1964. His academic journey continued at THE Ohio State University, culminating in a master's degree (1969) and a Ph.D. degree (1974) in electrical engineering.

John served his country with distinction in the U.S. Air Force from 1969 to 1979. During his military career, he made significant contributions as a teacher at the Air Force Institute of Technology, a bio-medical researcher at the Air Force Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory, and a research program manager at the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR).

Following his honorable discharge in 1979, John continued his work with AFOSR until 1983. He then transitioned to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency under the Office of the Secretary of Defense in Arlington, Virginia. From 1988 to 1991, he served as a research director for the DuPont Company in Wilmington, Delaware.

In 1991, John and his wife Karen relocated to Boulder, Colorado, from Landenberg, Pennsylvania. He joined the Optoelectronic Computing Systems Center (OCSC) in the College of Engineering at the University of Colorado as a senior research associate, and from 1997 until his retirement in 2002, he served as the Director of OCSC.

John's distinguished career was marked by numerous accomplishments and recognition. He was a recipient of the Air Force Commendation Medal in 1975 and the Department of Defense Meritorious Service Medal in 1979. He was also a Fellow of the Optical Society of America and a Fellow of SPIE-The International Society for Optical Engineering.

His contributions to the field of optical engineering extended to his roles as Editor of the International Journal of Optical Computing from 1990 to 1994 and Associate Editor of Optical Engineering from 1998 to 2003. He also served on the Editorial Advisory Boards of seven other technical publications and authored three book chapters and approximately 60 articles in technical publications.

John was a man of diverse interests and passions. He enjoyed public speaking, tennis, golf, skiing, hiking, playing bridge, and traveling the world with his wife Karen, particularly in Europe.

He is survived by his loving wife Karen of Boulder, Colorado; his son David Neff and wife Amy (Dylan, Cassidy) of Leesburg, Virginia; his daughter Stephanie Brown and husband Mike (Avery, Parker) of Spotsylvania, Virginia; and his stepson Michael Miller and wife Audette (Leyton, Logan) of Golden, Colorado. John was preceded in death by his brother, Harry, in 2014.

A celebration of John's life will be held this summer in Boulder, where family and friends will gather to honor his memory and legacy. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be made in his honor to the Alzheimer's Association. https://www.alz.org/