Vladimir G. Gelnovatch

Vladimir (Walt) G. Gelnovatch of Belmar died on March 1, 2024 and was born in Manhattan, NY, 1938. He was a Life Fellow of IEEE and served the IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society as President in 1989. He was a graduate of New York University Graduate School of Engineering, obtaining an MSEE followed by course work at NYU’s doctoral program. He was an electrical engineer and worked for the U.S. Army for 40 years at Fort Monmouth as the Director of the Electric Devices Laboratory. Following retirement, he worked as an independent consultant to the Army and industry until 2008. He spent 10 years as a visiting professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Virginia. He moved to New Jersey in 1952 where he lived until his death.

He obtained 8 patents and published upwards of 60 professional research papers. He was an associate editor of the Microwave Journal for over 20 years and a member of the Department of Defense Advisory Group on Electron Devices. He managed the Army’s portion of the very successful $1 Billion MIMIC Program, which opened the way for the development of microwave IC’s and their eventual introduction into the consumer cell phone and satellite TV markets. He received both the U.S. Army’s first and second highest ranking award for civilian service, the Exceptional Civilian Service, and the Meritorious Civilian Service Awards. He served his country on active duty in the U.S. Army Signal Corps from 1956 to 1959.

He was also a scholar of world history, and he loved photography, it was his favorite hobby dating back to the purchase of his first Leica camera in the 1950’s. He enjoyed watching his children and grandchildren playing soccer. He was also a car enthusiast. His love of cars began in the 1950s. He enjoyed weekends at automotive events with friends and family reminiscing about the American cars of his youth and the European cars he fell in love with later in his life.