Kovitz, Arthur Abraham

Arthur Abraham Kovitz passed away on April 30, 2018, in Evanston, Illinois. He was born August 6, 1928, in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Rose and Hyman Kovitz, Polish Jewish émigrés ( ca 1925) who became U. S. citizens several years afterwards. His father, a photographer, established a studio and residence in Monroe, Michigan. Arthur attended grade school ( Boyd School) and high school in Monroe. He always remembered his education there to be the cornerstone of his intellectual life. He obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at The University of Michigan in 1950 and 1951, respectively. After a year as a research engineer at Bell Aircraft Corporation, Buffalo, New York, he returned to school and received a Ph. D. in Aeronautical Engineering from Princeton University in 1957. Valerie Silverman became his bride in 1957. After an additional year as a research assistant at Princeton, he joined the Mechanical Engineering Department of Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois. His research interests focused on problems in fluid mechanics with emphasis on fluid interfaces, combustion, and heat transfer in aircraft and rocket engines. He retired in 2001. Arthur is survived by his wife, Valerie; his daughter, Claudia, of Evanston, Illinois; his son, Jordan, of Huntley, Illinois; and one granddaughter, Annelise. A private memorial service will be held at a later date.