Fond Farewell: Physics Professor Emeritus Fred Boos

Professor Emeritus Fred Boos, Jr., who taught physics on campus for 30 years, passed away November 23. He was 93.

Born April 20, 1927, in St. Cloud, Minnesota, he earned his master’s degree at Macalester College. He was hired at Chico State to teach in the Department of Physics in 1957 and enjoyed sharing his passion with students and colleagues for the next three decades.

Professor Emeritus David Kagan said he learned a lot about teaching from Boos, including how to demonstrate Einstein’s Theory of Relativity by explaining how a beam of light is bent by gravity. 

“Of course, this bending is too small to see with the human eye. Nonetheless, Professor Boos shined a laser beam across the room. He bounded over to the spot it made on the wall. With a glint in his eye, he pointed at the spot and said ‘See. It is just a little lower than it should be!’” Kagan recalled. “So, despite not actually seeing the bending of light by gravity, we will always remember the principle.”

Boos retired in 1989. In addition to his passion for physics, he loved animals, reading, and listening to classical music. He was also extremely active, engaging in sports, ice skating, skiing, hiking, Rollerblading, cycling, and ping pong. Every Saturday for nearly 30 years, he and retired professor Chuck Price played tennis.

He was also a member of the Chico International Folk Club, enjoyed ballroom dancing, and volunteered to serve meals at the Dorothy Johnson Center for several years.

He is survived by his wife, Annemarie Boos; children Mike, Kathy, and David; stepson Norman Hawkins; and their families.

The University flag will be lowered Wednesday, December 23, in his honor. We will share service details when we learn of them.