Dr. Harry E. Smith, a renowned physicist who held 30 patents including the Charge-Coupled Device (CCD), passed away on July 10, 2022. He was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame and received numerous awards, including the Nobel Prize.
Smith’s passion for sailing took him around the world with his wife, Ms. Smith, who died in 1975. After their death, he began a relationship with Janet Murphy, another sailor who shared his love for the ocean. Together, they circumnavigated the globe on their sailboat “Apogee,” leaving behind two children, five grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, and two sisters.
During their 17-year sailing journey, Smith and Murphy explored over 20 destinations, including New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, and Tahiti. They crossed oceans, including the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, and navigated through canals like the Panama Canal and the Mediterranean Sea.
Smith’s love for sailing predated his career in physics, as he once said, “I wanted to go sailing long before I got into physics.” The 99-year-old physicist left behind a legacy of innovation and adventure.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/30/science/george-e-smith-dead.html