Francis William Dresch
Sept. 21, 1913-March 9, 2011
Palo Alto, California

Fran was born in Sharon, Pennsylvania, on Sept 21, 1913. He moved to Stanford, California, to attend Stanford University, where he received his Bachelor of Arts in 1932 and his Masters in 1934.

Mr. Dresch was a member of the Stanford Cardinal Society, and was a loyal attendee of their annual homecoming luncheons until 2010. In 1937 he received his PhD in mathematics at the University of California, Berkeley. A prolific and enterprising scholar, Francis also attended Cambridge University and the University of Paris from 1937-1938.

He was a mathematics instructor at Berkeley from 1938-1941. Francis was elected a member of Sigma Xi and also received a Phi Mu Epsilon. Mr. Dresch enlisted in the Navy in 1941 and retired as a Commander in 1946. He continued at the U.S. Naval Weapons Laboratory at Dahlgren as the Assistant Director to the Director of Computers and Ballistics. In this capacity, Francis contributed to the development of one of the first computers. He worked as a Senior Statistician at the Dahlgren Laboratory until 1957.

Devoting much of his working life -- 27 years -- to the Stanford Research Institute as their Senior Mathematical Economist, Fran also dedicated six years to the Center for Planning and Research Inc. He was a member of American Academy of Arts and Sciences, American Mathematical Society, the Institute for Mathematical Statistics, and The Econometric Society.

Of his many interests, Fran's favorites included a love for the discoveries of Astronomy, and a relentless pursuit of the most cutting edge theories in mathematics. He had a passion for the culinary arts and a penchant for top-notch martinis. Some may remember Fran from the Manhattan Playhouse in East Palo Alto, where he could frequently be seen in the box office, parking cars or taking an occasional part on the stage.

Fran was not only a brilliant and distinguished scholar with a gifted intellect, but also a kind and generous person with a quirky sense of humor. Fran is survived by his wife, Jeanne and her two children Charlotte and Steve. He will be deeply missed. In lieu of flowers or donations, just raise a martini to Fran's memory. All personal correspondence can be sent through the Neptune Society, 1261 Travis Blvd, Suite 160 Fairfield, Ca. 94533

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