David J Biss
November 28, 1944 – February 15, 2024
David J. Biss (79) of Rockville, MD died peacefully at home on February 15, 2024, of complications from multiple myeloma. He is remembered as a generous and thoughtful husband, father, brother, uncle, and friend.
Born in Spangler, PA, he was the son of Irvin Oliver and Margaret Elizabeth “Betty” (Bostic) Biss.
David was raised on the Bostic family farm in Cherry Tree, PA. An active child, he loved building toys with moving parts in his father’s workshop. From a young age, he saw the value of education, and was on the honor roll at Purchase Line High School from which he graduated in 1962.
At Penn State, he was a determined student and member of the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1968 followed by a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering in 1971. He later furthered his education by studying Journalism at the University of Maryland, graduating in 1980 with a Bachelor of Science.
David dedicated his career to automotive safety with a focus on crashworthiness of automobiles and occupant crash protection. He was particularly passionate about the developing field of air cushion restraint systems. He started his career at Cornell Aeronautical Lab in Buffalo, NY and within several years moved to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration in Washington, D.C. as a manager of research and development programs. In 1982 he founded Automotive Safety Analysis, a consultancy that specialized in automotive safety engineering and analysis, expert investigations, and accident reconstructions.
A highlight of his career was working for Volvo in Göteborg, Sweden as a resident research engineer in their Automotive Safety Advanced Engineering group. While there he met Nils Bohlin - a brilliant colleague who became a dear friend. David remained close friends with the Bohlin family for the rest of his life.
David was an avid cyclist and spent many joyful hours biking the nearby woods and trails of Rock Creek Park. One of his greatest adventures was a cycling trip during which he and his cousin biked 184 miles on the C&O Canal. The four-day trip stretched from Cumberland Maryland to historic Georgetown in Washington, DC. In his later years, he was excited about his electrically assisted quad bikes which allowed him to keep biking despite physical limitations.
David loved sharing stories about his daughter. He enjoyed telling family, friends, and colleagues tales about her travels and work as a test pilot.
David is survived by his beloved wife of 19 years Jill; his daughter Emily (Doug); his brothers Bob (Rita) and Alex (Carol); his sister Brenda (Tom); as well as many loving nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by both his parents, sister Margie, and brother-in-law Pete.
A visitation and a memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 9th at Rairigh Funeral Home, Hillsdale. Visitation will begin at 10 am and the memorial service will follow at 11 am. Interment will be at Thompson Cemetery in Hillsdale.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations to the following organizations: Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation or Rails to Trails Conservancy.