Isidoro Kimel Obituary

Isidoro Kimel, PhD, was born 7/18/36 in Avellaneda, Buenos Aires, Argentina. He studied engineering at the University of BsAs and became enthralled with physics. He later taught at UBA, then was invited to do graduate studies at the Balseiro Latin American Institute of Physics in Bariloche, Argentina. Balseiro is world-renown for their graduate studies of physics and both nuclear and mechanical engineering. He moved on to teach at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil and then was offered the chance for yet another graduate degree by the University of Chicago. Despite not speaking English, he headed north and spent three years earning a PhD from Chicago's Fermi Institute, then did a two-year Post-Doc at the U of Michigan.

Brazil called again, and he returned to Sao Paulo with a wife (DeAnna) and child and a physics professorship that would last almost 15 years. From there he joined the Free Electron laser team at the University of Santa Barbara and built one so successfully that he received personal congratulations from the White House. The team relocated to UCF in Florida, where the CREOL Center was created to house the scientists and their work. Isidoro again built an FEL and taught there until 1999. The CREOL.

After retirement Isidoro and his 2nd wife (Susan) have lived in Titusville, where he continued independent research, daily trips to the gym, cruising and world travel. He is survived by his wife, Susan Seraphine-Kimel, son Michael (Heather), daughter Laura and grandchildren Alex Kimel, Jenna LeBeau, Elena Seraphine, and Ryan Seraphine.