Peter Oettinger, age 73, passed away suddenly on July 8, 2010. He was the beloved husband for 43 years of Marlys Oettinger.
The pursuit of education was highly regarded in his family, and Peter went on to obtain several degrees, including a bachelors degree from Cornell University, a masters degree from the California Institute of Technology, and a PhD from Stanford University. An accomplished scientist, Peter was a dedicated employee as well as an entrepreneur. He spent a good portion of his career working as a physicist at ThermoElectron (now ThermoFisher) in Waltham. From there, Peter decided that his contribution to society would be greater if he applied the skills he had acquired in X-ray technology to try to help fight the spread of cancer, and he launched his own company, PhotoElectron, which focused on making X-ray devices to irradiate malignant cancer tumors in the brain and breast. In addition to his formal career, Peter always enjoyed innovating and inventing, and numerous patents can be credited to his name.
In his free time, Peter enjoyed playing classical guitar, and he was also passionate about skiing, sailing, and playing tennis. He had a witty sense of humor and a balanced outlook on life. In addition to his wife, Peter is survived by four children who love him dearly: Philip Oettinger and his wife Trina of San Carlos California; Marc Oettinger of California; Ariane Purdy and her husband John of Massachusetts, and Andrea Oettinger of Pennsylvania; and three grandchildren: Ethan, Jacob and Ellis. He was the brother-in-law of Anthony Klug and his wife Ahnna of Colorado.
In lieu of flowers remembrances may be made to the American Heart Association, 20 Speen St., Framingham, MA 01701 or the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, 100 Raoul Wallenberg Plaza, SW, Washington, D.C. 20024-2150.