Henry Lawrence Kraybill, PhD, 95, passed away on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2013.
He was born to the late Henry Reist and Mary Ruth Grove Kraybill in Washington DC on April 13, 1918. He served in WWII while stationed in England as a meteorologist for the Army Air Corps, reaching the rank of Captain. After the war he attended the University of Chicago and received his Doctor of Physics in 1948.
He was a professor of physics at Yale University from 1948 until his retirement in 1984. That time included trips to Peru in support of the early efforts to organize the Geo-Cornometrics Lab for Carbon 14 dating. He also designed the optics system for the High Energy Particle Research carried out at both Brookhaven and Argonne National Laboratories.
As a teacher, he enjoyed sharing his love of science with others. In retirement he pursued his strong belief in environmentalism and social justice by supporting indigenous peoples of the world. His personal hobbies included fly fishing with split bamboo rods that he restored himself, walking in nature, and reading.
He was predeceased by his wife, Helen Earl Hardy Kraybill, whom he married in Chicago in 1944. He is survived by his daughter April Cervero, his son Robert Kraybill, daughter-in-law Christina and his grandson Michael Lewis.
There will be a private service for the immediate family. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the National Resources Defense Council, 40 W. 20th St., NY, NY 10011 or www.nrdc.org.
Private arrangements in care of Beecher & Bennett, 2300 Whitney Ave, Hamden.
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