Francois Didier Martzloff

François was born in Strasbourg, France, but spent most of his youth in the Paris region. After receiving his bachelor’s degree from École Spéciale de Mécanique et d’Électricité, Paris, in 1951, he traveled to the United States on a Fulbright scholarship where he studied at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). After receiving his master’s degree in electrical engineering from Georgia Tech in 1952, François served in the French Air Force. He subsequently moved to the U.S., where he received a master’s degree in industrial administration from Union College in 1972 and had a 30-year career as an electrical engineer with General Electric in Schenectady, New York. He went on to work for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) until his retirement in 2003. François was a prolific author in the surge protection industry (including Surges Happen! How to Protect the Appliances in Your Home) and received numerous patents. All the while, he translated technical engineering documents as a side business. François was an IEEE Fellow and attained many awards over his career, including a Lifetime Achievement award from the IEEE Standards Association. He was remarkably talented, particularly at woodworking and anything mechanical. He was passionate about photography, for which he won many awards.

As anyone who knew him will tell you, François was a truly kind, thoughtful, generous, and delightful man. He is preceded in death by his sister Christiane. He is survived by his beloved wife of 73 years, Madeleine, son Christopher (Michele), daughter Véronique, and several nieces and nephews, all of whom he loved.