The Life Journey of Dr. Peter Michael Sandow, (1947-2024)

Peter Michael Sandow had both a happy personal life and a successful career which involved decades of world travel. During his daughters’ youth, Pete used his many Frequent Flyer miles to take his wife and daughters on nice vacations, the favorites being Hawaii and the Disney Theme Parks. He always joked and enjoyed laughing, especially with daughter Susannah and his sister-in-law, Caroline, who both laughed with him non-stop. Pete was delighted to host Bar-B-Ques of fresh salmon for his in-laws and was close to his own parents. He enjoyed boating on Lake Oswego with the whole family. Pete built a beautiful brick patio that everyone loved. For his daughters, he built a lovely playhouse in the backyard which looked just like the real house they lived in, only smaller. He and his wife adopted five homeless dogs over 51 years and provided each dog a loving, forever home.

Pete’s daughter Susannah has written to her friends on December 2nd, 2024, “My dad passed away peacefully this morning. This is a sudden loss and it is a very sad time for me and my family. He will be missed so much. He was honestly the best dad anyone could hope for. He was always supportive of all of my hopes and dreams and I was very thankful for that. He also definitely got my special brand of humor, and I his. We would laugh for hours over anything we could find that was even remotely funny. He led a good life, had a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, was an expert in his field working with silicon wafers, loved playing golf, and got to travel many times for work. Brian and I were glad of the chance to share tales from our recent trip to Korea and Japan with him, two places he had been many times over the years. Love you so much, Dad!”

Dr. Peter M. Sandow, a Life Member of IEEE, authored one book, “Silicon.” His Ph. D. thesis at The Pennsylvania State University is about Deep Levels in Silicon. In the mid-1970s, Pete was experimenting with Laser Annealing technology in Semiconductors. 

Since High School, Pete was focused on becoming an engineer…but it wasn’t an obvious destiny for him:

Peter grew up in Albany, NY in the house his father built on a vegetable farm owned by his grandparents, who were Ukrainian immigrants. An only child, Peter was an overly energetic boy who played outside, Summer and Winter, with the neighborhood children. Peter never sat still except to enjoy his grandmother’s delicious Ukrainian cooking.

His mother was exhausted with her high-energy boy. One day he came home covered in tar. They called him Tar-Baby for years; he waded into a tar pit because he was an explorer at heart. When the school district offered him entry into kindergarten at age 4 (he was born in November), his mother gladly sent him. 

By Third Grade, Peter was the least mature, slowest student in his class. His wise Teacher left him back, standing firm against his humiliated parents. The Teacher stood her ground, and the rest of his life changed for the better. 

The next year Peter Sandow was the oldest, best student in his Third-Grade class; that was his new self-image. Part of the good luck that led him throughout his life was that his grandfather’s farm happened to be in the excellent Niskayuna School District. Peter loved math, science and playing the Trumpet. His scientific mind was intrigued with fireworks, and when he was twelve years old, his ever-indulgent mother bought him materials to create his own fireworks in the garage---until his father found out!

Peter worked diligently in high school and earned a college scholarship, his mother got a job and Peter worked all Summer, every Summer for six years picking tomatoes for 60 hours a week in all kinds of weather. Those paid for a BSEE (1970) and an MSEE (1972) at Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY.  He jokingly said that he had played in the ‘Gator bowl (yes, but he played the Trumpet in the marching band!!!)

At Syracuse U., a College Professor suggested a one-year U.S. Presidential Internship at NBS, Maryland and he was chosen. There, he met his wife, Jeane, and they began their 51+ years of marriage in 1973. “Pete” and Jeane moved to Florida where they were employed by an IC company.

Pete came to realize that IC companies’ production lines sometimes shut down due to impurities in the silicon wafers, resulting in a huge loss of time and money. Wanting to know how to correct this problem, he was accepted at The Pennsylvania State University as a Ph.D., EE candidate where he taught Undergraduates and carried out basic research into impurities in silicon wafers. Their first daughter was born in 1976; Pete was awarded a Ph.D. in 1977. Their second daughter was born in 1982.

 For 44 years, from 1977 to 2021, Pete worked for U.S. silicon or IC companies in St.  Louis; San Diego; Palo Alto; Research Triangle Park, North Carolina; Massachusetts; Dallas, TX; Salem, Oregon; and No. California. Each time resulted in a family relocation. His Applications Engineering jobs required him to constantly travel to solve production problems and confer with engineers in Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Italy, Germany, France, Belgium, England, Ireland, Scotland, Finland, Israel and once in Taipei, China. His work was focused on MEMPS, Semiconductors and Advanced Materials.

Pete also worked for foreign companies in South Korea, Japan, Finland, Ireland and Canada.

 Dr. Peter M. Sandow received a Patent for a radiation-hardened chip for the F-16, developed under a US Gov’t. contract, to safeguard our pilots.

In the latter years of his 52-year career, COVID-19 brought an involuntary retirement, so Pete applied his laser-focused mind toward constantly improving his golf scores.

Ages 73 to 77 were the happiest, most relaxed years of his life. He made friends with wonderful people who he met in his retirement village and through his enjoyment of golf. His good friends miss him very much, today. In Retirement, Pete had time to enjoy playing Yahtzee and to relax with his family. 

Pete was preceded in death by his father, Michael Sandow, mother, Genevieve (Tomczak), and Sister-in-Law, Caroline Cinquepalma. 

Pete is survived by his wife, Jeane Sandow; daughter Laura Sandow and husband, Jack DePue; daughter Susannah Carlsen and husband, Brian Carlsen, who has been like a beloved son. Also, surviving is Pete’s Mother-in-Law, Edith Cinquepalma (NC), nephews Andrew Miller (NC) and Gabe Cinquepalmi (San Francisco) and wife, Katrina Tilds; and loving, kind Cousins Kathy, Joan, John, and Steve of Albany, NY, and John Tomczak of Omaha. 

A dear friend, Art Epperson, has offered his lovely home as a place for Jeane and Pete’s daughters to host a Celebration of Life for caring neighbors, local family and golf friends.

Pete’s favorite childhood holiday was Halloween. His favorite colors were Autumn colors, especially orange. His favorite board game was Yahtzee. Pete’s favorite sports were playing Golf and watching SF Giants Baseball. His favorite foods included Mexican, Ukrainian, Finnish, Italian, Japanese, Indian, Thai, and baked goods.

Peter was born in 1947, “the same year as the transistor” he often said. 

If he hadn’t become an Electrical Engineer, he thought that his other choices would be a professional Trumpet player or a Pyrotechnician!     (His practical father decided “engineer.”)

Once, while driving through the mountain forests of Oregon, Pete wistfully said “In my next life, I hope I come back as a tree, because I want to live in one place and not have to move around all the time.” 

(God may have other ideas for such a brilliant Light.) 

Pete is much loved and will always be missed by his family and all who have known him.

Rest in Peace, Peter Sandow