Martin Edward Kienitz

Growing up in a strong extended family in Minneapolis tempered the hard lessons Marty learned during the Great Depression and World War II. With everyone under duress, he was taught to chip in, not complain, show up, help out, work hard and do your best.

His fascination with science and astronomy began early. He lived at home while a student at the nearby University of Minnesota, usually working at technical jobs to earn his tuition. For two summers his job was singing tenor in a quartet in the Aqua Follies show that played in three cities. During college he had a setback when he had his first seizures; but after a year adjusting to this change and medications, he earned his B.A. in physics with a minor in mathematics.

He then joined Mary in California where they were married. Marty worked as an engineer and studied for his master’s degree in physics and mathematics at the U of Southern California, exploring the countryside and beaches on weekends. They settled in the SF Bay Area where they raised three children—Paul, Karen and Roy. Over 23 years a series of ten other teenagers lived with their family, each one for a few months to a few years, adding sparkle to the household.

Among Marty’s first positions were Advanced Research Engineer in Optics and Senior Electronic Engineer. As an excellent speaker he was soon dubbed the “silver tongued orator” for his effective presentations to military and government personnel in Washington, DC.

However, as his employers increasingly pursued military contracts during the war in Vietnam, Marty found some projects onerous so took a salary cut to work instead for a firm that developed medical instruments. He managed a spectrophotometer project, set up mathematical models for analytic testing and helped develop ultrasound for unborn fetuses. A strong advocate for quality work and consumer safety, he helped write national safety standards for ultrasound use on fetuses.

Marty vowed that he would never sacrifice his family for his career so was at the family dinner table almost every evening. Many conversations focused on science, math and politics but also on choosing a site for the next camping vacation. Everyone had a say.

In their early fifties Marty and Mary bought a large suburban home for themselves and his mother in Minneapolis where they took their turns hosting large family gatherings. When Marty lost his job and struggled with inadequate medications, singing in a good choir and an epilepsy support group helped him regain his equilibrium. During semi-retirement in Madison, Wisconsin, he worked as an electronic technician part time at the University of Wisconsin on their superconductivity project. An excellent technical writer, there he also wrote technical documents and helped international engineering students cope with American culture, government regulations and technical terms in English.

Marty’s thirst for knowledge never waned. He was an avid reader who closely followed political and social news. In his eighties he wrote a paper on his reflections on economics in which he concluded, “The more I study economics the more I realize its dependence upon philosophy and religion.” The last article he was reading on his computer was “Exponential Economist Meets Finite Physicist” from UC San Diego.

Marty was a scrupulously honest person. In the 1960s he became a peacemaker PTA president in an elementary school community torn apart by social changes. As a volunteer he worked on political campaigns, recorded many technical books for the blind, mentored an at-risk student and volunteered at two epilepsy centers.

As seniors Marty and Mary enjoyed trips to Europe, Canada and Hawaii and an Alaskan cruise; but his greatest delight was singing in good choirs. His favorite was singing madrigals and early music with excellent musician friends in homes in Palo Alto. His lovely tenor voice and fine musicianship earned him a place in many select choral groups. For over a decade he was tenor section leader of the Madison Symphony Chorus in Wisconsin.

Although a skeptical truth seeker, Marty was very accepting and nonjudgmental of others. He believed that most people were doing the best they could and was very grateful for his blessings. He was good humored, witty, kind, gentle, a nature-loving classical music lover who always kept the cosmic picture in view. He deeply treasured his family, friends and harmonious marriage of 63 years. He will be sorely missed.

Gifts in memoriam may be sent to the Epilepsy Foundation Heart of Wisconsin, 1302 Mendota St. #100, Madison, WI 53714-1059 or made through their web site: www.epilepsy.com/heart-of-wisconsin.