Engineer of photoelectronics and Packanack Lake resident for over 40 years, dies at 81

Ronald Henry Goehner Sr., an innovative scientist and engineer of photoelectronic technology and a longtime resident of Packanack Lake,Wayne, NJ died peacefully in his home on July 24,2015 . He was 81 and suffered from advanced Parkinson’s disease.

Ronald was born in Jersey City, NJ on April 14, 1934. A first generation American, Ronald was the second son of John Goehner and Sophia Gerhardt. His father was born in Steinau, Poland in 1904 and his mother was born in Germany in 1906.

Ronald’s father arrived in the United States in 1926. His father worked both as a welder for Jersey City Welding founded by Ronald’s Uncle, William Goehner, and as a farmer.

Ronald’s mother arrived in the United States in 1923. Before marrying, his mother worked as a nanny for families in New York City. As a nanny she was never paid in wages. She was only provided room, board, and one dress a year from her employer.

Ronald grew up in Jersey City, NJ, and lived for many of his formative years at 17 Van Nostrand Ave. As a boy during World War II, he sat on the rooftops and watched the mandated blackouts turn a lighted city skyline into darkness. This is when he formed his love of amateur radio as it allowed him to hear war news and communicate with others all over the world. Ronald built his own radio antennas giving him an early love of radioelectric technology and science that would last a lifetime.

Ronald graduated Henry Snyder High School in 1952. He received a B.S. in chemistry from Wagner College, Staten Island NY in 1957 where he won the Dreyfus Prize for Chemistry. After college, Ronald served as a research chemist at the U.S. Army Chemical Center in Edgewood Maryland from 1957 to 1959, working on development and dispersal methods of chemical weapons during the cold war. He continued his studies and earned a M.A. in Science/Physics from Trenton State College, Trenton, NJ in 1969.

Ronald met his wife, Jessie Anne Stanzel through his cousin, Marianne Gehrhardt, in 1957. While dating, Ronald shared his love of classical music with Jessie and together they enjoyed many concerts at Carnegie Hall, always in the two center seats of the front row. He married Jessie on February 20, 1960 at the Presbyterian Church in Westfield, NJ. Together they resided in South Plainfield, NJ, Lawrenceville, NJ, and Saratoga, CA before settling in to Packanack Lake, Wayne NJ where he resided for over 40 years, raising his three children.

Since 1957, Ronald was employed as an engineer and applied scientist focusing on the development and advancements of photoelectric technologies. He managed research and development of image tubes, x-ray image converters, x-ray image intensifier tubes (which made CT scans possible), and photomultipliers. He received multiple patents for his work to advance photomultiplier technology. Ronald was employed by Tung-Sol Electric, EMR Photoelectric, Varian - EMI, Dumont Electronics Corp., Thorn EMI Gencom Inc, Electron Technology Inc., and The Fredericks Company.

In 1979 he was named President and Chief Executive Officer of Electron Technology Inc. (ETI) and was responsible for the successful development and sales of infrared glassware. In 1982, in addition to serving as President of ETI, he was promoted to President of Thorn EMI Gencom, Inc. which was responsible for the North American sales of English made photomultipliers, image tubes, cathode-ray tubes, and nuclear instrumentation. From 1992 –1999, approaching retirement, Ronald served as Vice President of the Fredericks Company and managed the Electron Technology division. He was a member of both the British and American Society of Scientific Glassblowers since 1981.

For over 60 years, Ronald worked in the field of applied science and helped pioneer and advance technologies with practical applications such as; UPC code scanners, infrared technology, glassware and night vision goggles, medical blood testing, regenerative braking for hybrid engines, vacuum tubes and high speed cameras for the television and motion picture industry, gamma ray detection for those at risk to nuclear radiation, and launching mechanisms for space exploration.

In some instances, it has taken a lifetime for his research and development to be implemented. For example, he worked on developing automobile hybrid engines with regenerative braking in the 1970s, and it took over 20 years for the technology to be integrated into the marketplace. In other instances he worked to reverse his prior work. While his career began with developing chemical weapons, later in life he advised and developed methods to accurately locate and safely dismantle those weapons.

Ronald was also an active member of his community and a loving supportive father and husband. He was a member of Packanack Lake Community Church where he served as a Trustee and as President of the church choir. He took great joy in singing as a tenor in the church choir. He supported his children’s endeavors including football, swim team, and theater. He served with his wife as President of the Packanack Lake Swim Team in 1981-1982, and also assisted his wife in volunteering for Healing The Children, a non-profit organization that provides critical medical care for children worldwide. He was an avid astronomer and took his family on trips to planetariums, observatories or simply the front lawn, to learn the constellations and watch for meteor showers.

Through his work and in his retirement years, he was able to enjoy many travels and adventures that included a boating adventure down the Snake River canyon, riding camels in Egypt, and several visits to England and Europe. In 1992 Ronald and Jessie were able to purchase a beach bungalow in Ocean Grove, NJ that had been the home of Jessie’s Great cousin, Anne Bain Forrester. There they were able to spend many happy summers at the Jersey shore continuing and forging new friendships.

Ronald held a deep appreciation for the opportunities available to him in the United States and revered the chance to apply himself fully. In all of his roles he strived to give others the same opportunities he was given. He gave many people from all walks of life, a chance to rise up from difficult circumstances and succeed. While his contributions to his field of applied science are remarkable, it will always be Ronald’s strength of love, compassion, and generous support that will endure in the lives of those he touched.

He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Jessie Anne Stanzel Goehner, Wayne, NJ his children Ronald Henry Goehner Jr., Wayne, NJ, Thomas Bain Goehner Washington DC, Janet Marie Goehner-Jacobs, and son in law David Scott Jacobs, Haddonfield, NJ. He is survived by his grandchildren, Philippe Kallagov Ridgewood NJ, Heidi Anne Jacobs, Haddonfield, NJ and a great-granddaughter, Alicia Philippe Kallagov, Ridgewood, NJ. He is survived by his brother Raymond Phillip Goehner and sister in law Linda Wnuk Goehner, Schaumburg IL, sister in law, Jean Kelly Goehner, Oceanside, CA, sister in law, Margerite Stanzel, Ft. Myers FL, Cousin Carol Schumacher John, Juniper, FL, Cousin, John Gerhardt McCormick, SC, Cousin Marianne Gehrhardt Knapp San Clemente,CA and several nephews and nieces. He also is survived by lifelong friends; Ray Martin, Alan Palmer, Jim Pepling, and Robert Ziolkowski.

He is predeceased by his older brother John William Goehner Oceanside, CA, his brother who died as a young child, George Goehner Jersey City, NJ and his dear Cousin, Helen Gehrhardt Lincoln Park, NJ.

The family would like to especially thank Ronald’s niece, Rosemary Goehner, for her wonderful care and support provided to Ronald and his family as his life came to a close.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations would be appreciated to:

The Michael J. Fox Organization to advance research of Parkinson’s disease. www.michaeljfox.org or the Packanack Community Church 120 Lake Drive East Wayne, NJ 07470 (973) 694-0608