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Edmond A
Grin
January 26, 1920 – August 17, 2022
Civil engineer and planetary scientist, Dr. Edmond A. Grin passed away peacefully at his home on August 17, 2022 at age 102 his wife by his side.
Born in Geneva, Switzerland, on January 26, 1920, Edmond completed a PhD in civil engineering for large dams and hydrogeology at EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) in 1947. The first part of his life was dedicated to harness water for irrigation and energy in countless projects he designed worldwide, including some of the largest dams of his time.
Instead of retiring, Edmond embarked on a second life in 1994 in the US, becoming a planetary scientist at the SETI Institute in 1999, this time to search for water on Mars. He was instrumental in the selection of the landing site for NASA's Spirit rover mission in 2003 and an active member of scientific expeditions in the Andes well into his 90s. He remarried in 2000, became a US citizen in 2007, and shared a life of science and adventures with his wife.
He loved life to the fullest and had an endless curiosity to the end. Avid mountaineer, he summited the near 20,000 ft-high volcano Licancabur at age 86. He also loved trekking and kayaking. Edmond will be remembered as an exceptionally brilliant mind, a kind and sweet soul, a humble man, and a beloved husband. He is survived by his wife, Nathalie, his children from a first marriage with Andrée, daughter Claude and her two children Alexandre and Laure-Anne, son Xavier and companion Martine, brother Micha, and extended family.
A service will be held on August 30, 2022 in Mountain View, CA. For information, please contact Spangler Mortuary at 650-967-5546.
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