Marion Eugene “Gene” Cavanaugh, a pioneering engineer and devoted family man, passed away last Saturday at his home in Mountain View, California, at the age of 95.
Born in Childress, Texas, he later became a long-time resident of Palo Alto, California. During the early years of the semiconductor industry, he worked with Texas Instruments designing some of the first semiconductor chips. In the 1960s he also taught solid state physics to engineers and later authored patents based in quantum physics. Gene was also a patent attorney, but his passion was electronics.
Above all, he was a deeply loving father who instilled confidence and empathy in his children.
He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Joyce Cavanaugh, whom he married in 1957; 
his daughters Laura Rasmussen, Rhonda Bachman, and Angela Cavanaugh; his grandchildren Rashelle Rasmussen, Cameron Bachman, and Enrique Avalos; and his great-grandchildren Kaito Oku and Nanami Oku.
He will be remembered not only for his brilliant mind, but for the quiet kindness, encouragement, and love he gave his family throughout his life.
Gene will be interned at the Golden Gate National Cemetery in San Bruno on Friday May 15th. His family will have a celebration of life at Cypress Point Woods at 306 Central Avenue in Mountain View from 3pm to 5pm on the same day.
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