Mario Rabinowitz

Mario Rabinowitz, physicist, thinker, seeker of truth, born on October 24, 1936, passed away in his home in Emerald Hills on May 26, 2026. His loving wife of 43 years, Laverne Marcotte Rabinowitz, was at his side.

He was the son of Laib and Rachel Loschak Rabinowitz, and the younger brother of Joseph (José) Rabinowitz, deceased. Though born in Mexico City, where his parents had settled immediately after leaving Russia in the early 1920s, Mario grew up in Vancouver, Washington, where he soon became a well-known figure around the small town. His competitive nature and inborn talent led him to titles of yoyo champion, marbles champion, chess champion, checkers champion, and - most impressive of all, at age 13 - soap box derby champion, which took him to the national competition in Akron, Ohio. For all these activities young Mario became a regular in the daily newspaper, The Vancouver Columbian. His high school journey in student government was equally successful.

Mario received B.S. and M.S. degrees in Physics in 1959 and 1960 at the University of Washington. He had been a Baker Scholar at Reed College until contracting a serious case of the Asian Flu during the 1958 pandemic. Awarded the PhD. degree in Physics by Washington State University in 1963. He started his professional career at Westinghouse Research Center, and from there came West to California for research positions at Varian Associates, SLAC, and the Electric Power Research Institute. There were teaching opportunities at Stanford and San Jose State and adjunct professorships at several universities. In 1992 Mario received the WSU Alumni Achievement Award, and in 1993 the EPRI Discovery Award, crediting him with proving that claims that one high-altitude nuclear burst could black out the entire USA were an exaggeration. Among his major interests were superconductivity, little black holes, and the nuclear electromagnetic pulse (EMP). He published over 160 articles and essays in physics and engineering journals and held 60 patents.

In 2011 he wrote a book in tribute to his mother: "Rachel, The Little Lady That Could." Mario's father Laib had passed away unexpectedly when Mario was 16. He then fiercely devoted himself to sharing the burden placed on the now family of two by working even while a student in order to assist his mother in meeting expenses. This continued for the rest of her life. Mario was a master of long, substantive conversations and phone calls - with colleagues and just as specially with his children and grandchildren (from vocabulary to philosophy!).

Mario would always say that his aim in life was to leave the world in a better place for his being here. Professionally and personally, he exceeded those aims. Mario's two sons, Ben Rabinowitz and Dan Rabinowitz Fisher, predeceased him. In addition to his wife Laverne, he leaves his daughter Lisa Beryl Klugman, five grandchildren (Avraham, Galit, Gamliel, Owen, and Andrew), and seven great-grandchildren. Memorial services have been held, and contributions in Mario's memory may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation, to World Central Kitchen, or to a charity of your choice.