Yonathan Bard

Yonathan Bard, of Newton, passed away on June 21, 2026, at age 94. He leaves behind his wife of 67 years, Dora Bard, his son Joel Bard, daughter-in-law Sayuri Miyamoto, granddaughter Linda Bard, and daughter Judy Bard. He was born in Vienna, Austria and retained a love of European music, food and art. He moved to Palestine at the age of 3 and then to the United States to attend college at the University of Pennsylvania. He later earned a PhD in chemical engineering from Columbia University. He was a pioneer computer scientist who enjoyed a long career at IBM, starting in 1957. He wrote a widely used book entitled Nonlinear Parameter Estimation in 1974 and received the 1993 AA Michelson Award. His many interests included attending concerts, traveling the world, and bird watching. He read widely, acquiring a vast knowledge of world history and the arts. He was a long-time member of the New England Rug Society, the Newton Bridge Club, and the Folk Arts Society of New England. A celebration of life will be held at a later date.