Obituary
Brian John Thompson of Fort Myers,FL passed away at age 91, after a long illness, on January 27, 2024. He is predeceased by his wife of 52 years, Joyce. He is survived by his daughter Karen DeFrancisco (Richard); son Andrew Thompson; grandchildren: Derrick, Ashley, Sarah, and Andrew John; great grandchildren: Emilia and Brody; nephews Mark (Sally), Nigel (Jocelyn), James (Marie) Jackson and great nephews.
Brian was born in England and received his education at Manchester University, obtaining his B.Sc. and Ph.D. Brian joined the University of Rochester in 1968 as director of the Institute of Optics, and from 1975-1984 served as the Dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science. He continued as Provost of the University of Rochester from July 1, 1984- June 30,1994. He received numerous awards for his contributions to Optics and also developed and pioneered an important branch of holography. Brian has been the author of more than 180 scientific and technical papers and books and also served as an editor for multiple publications. Brian was a member of the Board of Overseers of the Thayer School of Dartmouth College, served as Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Center for Governmental Research, and Trustee of the Rochester Divinity School, the Rochester Museum of Science, and the Link Foundation. He served as a corporate director of Welch Allyn, Holotek, and Semi-Conductor Laser International. Brian was a past president and lifetime member of SPIE (Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers). He has received numerous awards over his lengthy career.
Brian was a long time member of Christ Church, Pittsford, New York. He had a passion for gardening and a love of books that he shared with his wife. He also enjoyed spending time at the cottage in Canada. His love and devotion to family always came first.
A family service is planned. In lieu of flowers, please consider honoring Brian with donations to the American Diabetes Association or the Alzheimer’s Association. The family would like to thank Cypress Cove for taking such loving care of Brian.
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