Obituary of Russell Mosteller

Russell Mosteller died in Santa Fe on June 29, 2021.  He was 75.

 

His parents, Elizabeth Spencer Mosteller and Lester “Jack” Mosteller, predeceased him.  He is survived by his wife, Karen Heldmeyer, his brother Robert Mosteller, 7 nieces and nephews, and 4 great-nephews.

 

Russ was born in Indianapolis and grew up on a farm in rural Indiana.  He attended grade school in Bridgeton, IN, and high school in Rockville, IN.  While in high school, Russ prepared himself for college through extensive reading and participation in some college classes.  His hard work paid off when he was admitted to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1964 and received his SB in Physics from there in 1968.

 

Russ was awarded an AEC fellowship to attend the Nuclear Science program at the University of Michigan where he received his MS in 1969 and his PhD in 1973.

While in Ann Arbor, he was also volunteer coordinator for the McGovern campaign, which is where he and Karen met.

 

Russ was on the faculty of Catholic University for 2 years and then went on to join several national consulting firms where he advised many private companies and government agencies.  Throughout his career, Russ was very active in the American Nuclear Society, where he held many positions including Chair of the Reactor Physics Group.  He was named a fellow of the ANS for all his technical work. 

 

He joined the Los Alamos National Lab in 1990, retiring from LANL in 2012.  After his retirement, he continued to work on several advisory committees for the ANS and also continued to work on several political campaigns.

 

Donations may be made in his name to Felines and Friends, 369 Montezuma Avenue #320, Santa Fe, NM 87501, where he and Karen both volunteered.

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