Alan Meyer Gerlach, died on August 2nd, at the age of 93 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Born in Milwaukee, WI, Dr. Gerlach had been a resident of Wellesley, Massachusetts for 49 years, before moving to Charlotte in 2003 after the death of his wife of 58 years, Geraldine Hermes Gerlach.
Dr. Gerlach was the only child of Henry F. and Ella Meyer Gerlach. He received a BS degree in journalism cum laude from Marquette University in 1941. Dr. Gerlach’s graduate studies in journalism and philosophy at Marquette were interrupted by military service in World War II. After completing the Army Aviator Cadet program in meteorology at the University of Chicago, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in 1943 and was selected for the first class of the Institute of Tropical Meteorology at the University of Puerto Rico. Dr. Gerlach served as a weather officer in the U.S. Army Air Force in various weather detachments across the Pacific, separating from the Army in 1946 at the rank of Captain.
After military service, Dr. Gerlach resumed his studies in philosophy and history of religion at the University of Chicago. He then attended Harvard University, receiving a Master’s Degree in Philosophy in 1948 and a Ph.D. in 1951. Dr. Gerlach was an instructor in philosophy at Boston University from 1948 through 1951.
Dr. Gerlach returned to the U.S. Air Force in 1951, working at the U.S. Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories (AFCRL) at Hanscom Field in Bedford, MA. He stayed with AFCRL until 1974, rising to the position of Deputy Director, the highest civilian position in the agency. He received the U.S. Air Force Exceptional Civilian Service Award in 1964.
In 1978, Dr. Gerlach joined Systems and Applied Sciences Corporation, a minority- owned computer software and scientific research company, as program manager for its Lexington, MA operations. He retired from that organization in 1988.
In retirement, Dr. Gerlach returned to philosophy, especially 20th century developments in philosophy of mind. He remained active in academia into his late 70's, auditing philosophy courses at several Boston area universities, always favoring his alma mater, Harvard. Dr. Gerlach had an amazing intellect, translating classical philosophy texts from Greek into English. He was a member of many professional organizations, including the British Interplanetary Society, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, American Meteorological Society, American Geophysical Union, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Dr. Gerlach leaves behind his loving family of four children: Alan (Betsy), of Orlando, FL; Kurt, of Bellingham, MA; Gary (Terri), of Charlotte, NC; and Susan Luetze (Udo), of Charlotte, NC and Stuttgart, Germany. He also leaves his only grandchild, Sarah, of Charlotte, NC.
Private family service will be held on Thursday, August 9, 2012. Interment Woodlawn Cemetery, Wellesley, MA.