Obituary: Fred U. Rosenberger, D.Sc.

May 22, 2006 -- Fred U. Rosenberger, D.Sc., senior professor of computer science and engineering, died Sunday , May 14, 2006, of pancreatic cancer at Bethesda Dilworth nursing home. He was 66.

Born in Baden, Pa. , he earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Washington University in 1961 and a master's degree in electrical engineering from New York University in 1963. Rosenberger later returned to Washington University, where he received a doctor of science degree in electrical engineering in 1969.

From 1961 to 1966, Rosenberger was a technical staff member at Bell Telephone Laboratories in Whippany, N.J.

Rosenberger joined Washington University in 1966 as a research assistant in the Computer Systems Laboratory, later serving as research engineer, assistant director and associate director.

*From 1984 to 2001, he was an associate professor for the Institute for Biomedical Computing and the Department of Electrical Engineering. In 2002, he became associate professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, and in 2005, he was appointed senior professor of the School of Engineering & Applied Science.

Rosenberger played a central role in many of the activities at the Computer Systems Laboratory in the 1960s, the development of macromodules being one of them. He also played a key role in the early Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) efforts at Washington University in the late 1970s. In recent years, he was involved in several St. Louis start-up companies, including Celox. Networks

Rosenberger was also an avid bicyclist, volleyball player, bridge player and world traveler . The funeral service was held May 17 and interment was at St. Peter Cemetery, Kirkwood.

Among the survivors are his wife of 45 years, Elizabeth "Betty" Rosenberger; two daughters, Lisa Balbes of Kirkwood and Laura Esswein of Crestwood; a son, Frederick Rosenberger of Kirkwood; two sisters, Martha Rosenberger of Fort Myers, Fla., and Helen Leblanc of Williamston, Mich.; a brother, John Rosenberger of the Kansas City, Kan., area; and nine grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the donor's choice.