Juda Leon Shohet

Juda Leon Shohet, 86, of Madison, WI, passed away peacefully at his home on February 28, 2024. Born in 1937 in Oak Park, Illinois, to Dr. Allan and Franny Turner Shohet, he distinguished himself as a pioneering researcher and educator in the field of plasma physics.

Known affectionately as "J. Leon" or simply "Leon”, he and his parents were long-time members of West Suburban Temple Har Zion in River Forest Illinois.

A brilliant mind, he represented his entire school in a regional Spelling Bee at age 11 and became a college student just four years later, entering the University of Chicago at age 15. He later earned his engineering degree from Purdue, studied at Harvard and obtained a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon at age 24, and the same year, became a Professor at Johns Hopkins University where he taught for five years.

For the next 53 + years he taught and led at UW Madison, leaving an indelible mark as a department chairman and director of numerous labs and prestigious research centers in Plasma Physics, a field in which he was a textbook author and acknowledged innovator and pioneer. It is believed that he is likely the longest serving professor in the history of the university.

In addition to his textbook, he was the author of multiple journal and encyclopedia articles and a contributor to more than 800 journal articles and conference papers. His work and writings were also chosen to be featured chapters in numerous books, including “Fusion” edited and compiled by Dr. Edward Teller the renowned physicist often referred to as the father of the Hydrogen Bomb.

He was a highly sought-after consultant and visiting physicist for multiple companies and institutions including Los Alamos National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore laboratory, Hewlett-Packard, Texas Instruments, Argonne National Laboratory, Westinghouse, The United States Army, Princeton University and Stanford University.

His accomplishments and contributions to science earned him multiple prestigious honors and accolades including a Fulbright scholarship, the IEEE Centennial Award, the IEEE Plasma Science and Applications Prize and the Frederick Emmons Terman Award, among many others. He was also the holder of numerous patents based on his research.

An adventurer by nature, he once famously skied down the wrong side of the Swiss Alps, only to find himself in another country. He later became a race car driver in his late 70’s, reaching speeds of 176 mph at age 85.

A lifelong learner, he spoke fluent French, was always pursuing new hobbies and classes and learned Chinese in his 80s just so that he could converse with some of his students in their native language.

He was previously married to Sharon Kemp of Duluth Minnesota with whom he had one son. He was then married to Amy Scherz until her passing in September of 2023. She predeceased him by only five and a half months.

His funeral took place on Sunday March 3rd at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Hillside, Illinois. Survived by step-son Robert (Lori) Prince, son Aaron Shohet Kemp, daughter Lena Shohet, and son William Ze’ev (Neelika) Shohet, Leon leaves behind a legacy of intellect, adventure, and a gentle spirit. A Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity member, he'll be remembered for his brilliant innovations in science, his devotion to teaching and his love of family, ham radio, puns, Star Trek, skiing, and of course, good food.

Condolences to the family can be sent to [email protected].

Donations may be m-ade in Leon’s memory to Chabad Madison (chabadmadison.com).