George Emmerson Chamberlain

George E. Chamberlain, long time resident of Boulder and retired physicist, died on Tuesday, March 8, 2016, at Swedish Medical Center in Englewood. He was 81. A Celebration of his life will be held July 7, at 10:30 A.M. at St. John's Episcopal Church, 1419 Pine St, Boulder, CO 80302. A reception at the church will follow. George was born on September 2, 1934 in Richmond, Virginia to Emerson and Anne (Whitfield) Chamberlain. He spent most of his youth in Fairfield, Connecticut. He completed undergraduate studies at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut; afterwards earning his Ph.D. in physics at Yale University in 1962. George worked for the National Bureau of Standards (now National Institute of Standards and Technology) in Washington DC, Maryland and Boulder, CO. In 1980, George suffered a major stroke and subsequently underwent carotid bypass surgery in Salt Lake City. Even with significant brain damage, he was able to continue working at NBS until his retirement in 1986. George was a member of Sigma Xi, the American Physical Society, Boulder Senior Optimists, Colorado Mountain Club, as well as St. John's Church, where he served as a lay reader and usher. He loved the Colorado Front Range Mountains, hiking in the early years and visiting in a car. He rode the Georgetown loop railroad several times and liked to explore old mountain roads and passes. When his daughters were young he read several books aloud to them. One hobby was furniture building - bookcases, tables, and a desk just the right height for typing and sewing. He always had a keen interest in photography, especially digital photos in his later years. George is survived by his daughters Catherine Clark (Chamberlain) of Kailua, HI, Anne Chamberlain of Baltimore, MD, siblings James P. Chamberlain of Boston, MA and Letitia A. Chamberlain of Ghent, NY, four grandchildren, Laura, Alex, Parker, and Keagan, and his former wife Jane Scott Chamberlain of Longmont, CO. Contributions: Center for People with Disabilities, 1675 Range Street, Boulder, CO 80301 and St. John's Episcopal Church, 1419 Pine St, Boulder, CO 80302. Please share thoughts, memories and condolences at legacy.com/obituaries/dailycamera