Ira Harris Spector

November 23, 1944 – March 8, 2024

Resident of Los Gatos, CA

Ira loved his wife Barbara, his dog Joey, his family and friends, sports cars, his private plane and the Town of Los Gatos.

Ira began flying at the age of 14 in upstate New York where his family would spend summers in the Catskills. He graduated high school early and at the top of his class and then entered City College New York (CCNY) where he obtained his BSEE in Electrical Engineering.

He drove across the United States first pausing in Los Angeles where his uncle loaned him a yellow convertible. But the car, the sun and the ocean did not stop him and it was in the San Francisco Bay Area that Ira found his future.

His engineering career began as he spent the night tracking satellites at the Lockheed Satellite Test Center, and attending San Jose State University where he obtained his MSEE in Computer Science.

Following several years as an engineer, Ira founded and sold several companies, the last one in 1981, after which he retired, filling his life with Barbara, her law firms and work with the Town; flying his fast, low wing airplane, hangered at San Jose airport; and sports cars including the beautiful Fiskar Karma.

Ira’s talent also extended to the creative as he wrote Last Chance and A Month of Sundays, the former described as “fact-based fiction” and the latter inspired by the 15 years that he and Barbara rented a villa in the South of France.

Adventure and risk taking filled both the lives of Ira and Barbara whether sky diving, starting their own companies or travel – having visited not only Europe but the Middle East, Africa, Asia, South America, Mexico and, most recently, Dubai on the Persian Gulf.

Services were private. Donations may be made to the Humane Society of Silicon Valley at hssv.org/give