David Chandler
Oct. 15, 1944 - Apr. 18, 2017
David Chandler, pillar of the physical chemistry scientific community and Professor Emeritus of Chemistry at the University of California at Berkeley, died April 18, 2017 at the age of 72 at his home in Berkeley, CA after a valiant battle with prostate cancer. David’s life could not be extracted from his science. Spanning a career that changed the course of the field of physical chemistry, he is credited with crafting the modern language and concepts for describing structure and dynamics of condensed matter and developing methods by which rare but important events can be simulated with computers. David was a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a foreign member of the Royal Society. David was born on October 15, 1944 in New York, New York to Herbert S. Chandler and Sylvia Brody Chandler. David relentlessly pushed himself to excel and often approached science from unorthodox vantages. David earned a BS in Chemistry from MIT and a PhD in Chemistry from Harvard University. David met his wife Elaine Chandler (nee Ackles) at MIT. She continued to inform and inspire his science throughout his career. Elaine survives David, along with their daughter Phoebe Chandler of Oakland, CA, her partner Sue Elderkin and grandchildren Matthew and Mya Elderkin; and daughter Cynthia Chandler of San Leandro, CA, her husband D. Bud Sperman and grandchildren Sophia and Lilah Sperman. David also is survived by his sister Elsie Chandler of New York City and her husband Martin Stolar, as well as many beloved cousins in the New York area. David’s influence in science carries forward through the over 100 graduate and postdoctoral students he mentored and thousands of scientists he influenced. David’s intensity, brilliance, and courage will be missed. A public Life and Work Celebration will take place at UC Berkeley in June 2017. In lieu of flowers, the family request donations be made to support an annual David Chandler Memorial Lecture at UC Berkeley. Details at: http://www.sunsetviewcemetery.com/obituaries/DavidChandler-10/.