Chalmers F Sechrist Jr.'s Obituary
Chalmers F. Sechrist, Jr. was born on August 23, 1930 and reared in Glen Rock (York County) Pennsylvania. His parents were Chalmers F. Sechrist and Lottie Smith Sechrist. He was married to the late Beatrice Myers Sechrist in Burnham (Lewistown)Pennsylvania on June 29, 1957. They enjoyed 62 years of marriage together. He is survived by his son, Jonathan and wife Nancy, and daughter Jennifer Sechrist Mai and her husband Phillip Mai. Chalmers graduated from Glen Rock High School in 1948. In 1952 he graduated with honors from The Johns Hopkins University with the B.E. degree in electrical engineering. At the Pennsylvania State University, he received the M.S. degree in electrical engineering in 1954, and the PhD degree in electrical engineering in January 1959. From 1959 to 1965 he was a Staff Engineer in the Research Department of HRB-Singer, Inc. in State College, Pennsylvania. From 1965 to 1992 at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, he rose from Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering to Professor of ECE, Associate Head of the ECE Department, and Assistant Dean of Engineering where he assisted with the creation of student exchange programs with universities including Japan, China, and Russia. His research in the Aeronomy Laboratory was involved with the lower ionospheric D region and he supervised graduate students who investigated the winter anomaly, seasonal and diurnal variations in the electron concentration vs. altitude, based on rocket measurements and computer models of the ion and neutral chemistry. Between 1992 and 1996 while on a Leave of Absence he served as a Program Manager in the Division of Undergraduate Education at the National Science Foundation in Washington, D.C. In 1996 he retired from the UIUC and moved to Fort Myers, Florida where he joined in 1998 the new Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) as an Adjunct Professor of Engineering. He created and taught several courses in engineering and technology. In 2005 he was appointed to the Advisory Board and assisted with the formation of the School of Engineering. During the period 1997 to 2012, he was a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary where he taught several courses and qualified as Coxswain to command a patrol vessel on weekends. Also, from 2009 to 2016 he served on several committees and the Resident Council at Cypress Cove retirement community in Fort Myers. Between 2012 and 2016 he was President of the FLiCRA chapter (Florida Life Care Retirement Association) that works with the Florida State Legislature to ensure the benefits of residing in a CCRC (Continuing Care Retirement Community). Chalmers’ interests have included: photography, amateur radio, golf, tennis, sail and power boating, and volunteering. Also of interest is the preparation of talks on topics such as: global warming and climate change, fixing systems that should be upgraded and updated, and what the Boomers plan to do in their retirement years. Chalmers is a member of the American Geophysical Union (AGU), the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), and is a Life Fellow of the Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE). In addition, he is listed in Who’s Who in America.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: Philanthropy Fund at Cypress Cove, 10200 Cypress Cove Drive, Fort Myers, FL 33908. Memo: In memory of Chalmers Sechrist.
Fort Myers Memorial Gardens Funeral Home is entrusted with final arrangements, 1589 Colonial Blvd., Fort Myers, FL 33907. To leave an online condolence please visit www.fortmyersmemorial.com
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