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Jakob (Japie) Van Zyl

Jakob (Japie) Van Zyl

February 24th, 1957 - August 26th, 2020

Son of Africa, Man of the Universe

Biography


Jakob (Japie) lived a life rich with adventure, friendship, and love. His extraordinary journey to become an explorer of the universe, a scholar, entrepreneur, and teacher, began at Outjo High School in Namibia where he met Kalfie –his lifelong friend and loving wife.


In the nighttime plains of Namibia, Jakob and Kalfie had a front row seat to the symphony of stars and planets that played across the southern sky. From their unobstructed view, the universe beckoned. Jakob would dedicate his life to helping us better understand the universe including our home on Earth.


Jakob and Kalfie’s journey took them to the University of Stellenbosch. Jakob studied electrical engineering—and was first exposed to radar and signal processing. After his compulsory service in the South African Navy, Jakob liked to joke that as an inland Namibian, he felt much more comfortable studying radar waves from the safety of his laboratory rather than being tossed about by ocean waves. From whatever setting, Jakob would go on to make significant contributions to the field of radar for understanding the Earth system.


In 1983, Jakob and Kalfie embarked on their biggest adventure yet—moving 10,000 miles from their home in South Africa to Pasadena, California. It was there that Jakob earned his PhD in Electrical Engineering at Caltech, became a US citizen, and began his remarkable thirty-three year career in service to NASA science missions (many international) at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Jakob had found his home.


Jakob was an accomplished engineer and manager at JPL. Beginning as a researcher in radar data analysis in 1986, Jakob rose to Director of Solar System Exploration and Associate Director of JPL for Strategy. Along the way Jakob left his mark as a friend and mentor with his can-do spirit, warm and engaging personality, boundless intellect, unwavering dedication, and ever-present humor. When presented with a problem, no matter how large, Jakob would let out a single “AY, CARAMBA!” before showing his warm smile and patiently helping work towards a solution. He had the kind of determination borne from an illimitable optimism: that with hard work and comradeship almost anything is possible. With this outlook he went on to guide to success some of the most important missions for JPL and NASA including the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, the Juno mission to Jupiter, the Dawn mission to the asteroid belt, the Cassini mission to Saturn, the InSight Mars lander mission, and the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover mission currently en route to the red planet.


Jakob was a prolific researcher and scholar. In addition to his contributions as a manager Jakob was equally a talented scholar. He did pioneering work in understanding the Earth system using remote sensing data. During his time at Caltech and JPL, Jakob contributed over 220 articles and papers generating over 13,860 citations. Jakob’s scholarship will continue to serve as a foundation for future researchers in the fields of remote sensing science.


Jakob was an impassioned entrepreneur. With boundless energy and a tireless sense of adventure, Jakob retired from JPL in 2019 to co-found Hydrosat, a data analytics company creating a global map of surface temperature everywhere, every day. Jakob’s vision was to disrupt the old cost paradigms of Earth science missions and make knowledge of our changing planet more accessible to food producers, private companies, and governments. Under Jakob’s leadership, Hydrosat doubled in size and embarked on numerous impactful projects with the US government, European Space Agency, and industry partners. Always a mentor, Jakob advised many other entrepreneurs and founders through his work as a Principal at Kairos Ventures.


Jakob was a caring teacher. He cared deeply about encouraging young people to launch careers in Science. In addition to teaching a generation of students at Caltech, Jakob always found time to coach rugby and to call into a monthly radio show called Stars and Planets in his native Namibia.


Finally, Japie was a friend, a husband, and a loving family member. He will live on as an inspiration to those he touched, particularly in his communities of Outjo Namibia, Stellenbosch South Africa, Caltech, JPL, and Hydrosat. He is survived by his wife Kalfie, brother-in-law Jan Louw, and two siblings Ben and Annatjie van Zyl, and his four-legged boy Leonardo.


Jakob was a leader, a scholar, a teacher, an entrepreneur, and a friend. Jakob will be forever missed and never forgotten.

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Family

About

Name Jakob (Japie) Van Zyl
Date of Birth February 24th, 1957
Date of Death August 26th, 2020
Home Town Outjo, Kunene Region, NA 
Other City Altadena, CA, US 
Interests Education, Woodworking, Rugby, Running, Coaching, Family & Friends
Favourite Saying Ay, Caramba!
In Memoriam Donation Jakob van Zyl Memorial Fund at Caltech
Milestone

Milestones

1974 Outjo High School, High School
1979 University of Stellenbosch, B.Eng., Electrical Engineering
1979 Married Kalfie
1983 California Institute of Technology, M.S., Electrical Engineering
1986 California Institute of Technology, Ph.D., Electrical Engineering
1986 - 2005 Manager & Engineer, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
2001 - 2020 Senior Faculty Associate, California Institute of Technology
2005 - 2011 Director of Astronomy, Physics, and Space Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
2006 - 2020 Extraordinary Professor, University of Stellenbosch
2011 - 2016 Associate Director, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
2015 University of Stellenbosch, D. Eng (Hon. Causa)
2016 - 2019 Director of Solar System Exploration, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
2019 - 2020 CEO & Co-founder, Hydrosat
2019 - 2020 Principal Scientist, Kairos Ventures

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Kevin Lalli published a tribute .

Hi, I just wanted to reach out from Seattle WA, USA and say that I didn't have the chance to meet Jakob but I'm glad he had an impact on my life.

We're doing our best to keep his vision alive to make the planet a better place using tools in space.

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John Hong published a tribute .

I met Jakob at caltech when we were nerdy grad students trying to figure out what to study. OK. I was the nerd. He was clearly cool. Jakob was easily the most exotic person I had met, the first Namibian in my sheltered world. Maybe I was the first Korean he met so perhaps I was exotic too. Our paths diverged after caltech but I was grateful for a reconnection in 2002 when he helped me land a fantastic job at JPL. I think others mentioned his cool and collected demeanor in his approach to leadership and management. I learned a lot by observing and unashamedly imitating. Fast forward to just last year, we reconnected once again, as entrepreneurs. I was hoping to work together again in some way. I looked up the US embassy facebook post and learned that he returned year after year to talk to students there, to help them dream and figure out steps to realize those dreams. I had no idea but the beaming faces in those photos told a wonderful story. Thank you Jakob!

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Mariaan published a comment .

Liefste Kalfie ...ek het ie woorde nie. Ek huil saam met jou. Sterkte vir alles wat voorlê. Koester al julle mooi memories. Liefde uit George. Mariana (Louw) Labuschagne

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Linda published a comment .

My liewe Sussa....ek bid vir jou.... ek huil saam jou....onse Vader sal jou pad rig.xxx...Linda (Claassens) Kanaal 7 Radio

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Sarie Alberts published a comment .

Ek het Japie nie geken nie. Ek het hom bewonder vir sy kennis en vir wat hy bereik het. Ek waardeer sy nagedagtenis. Die wereld is n armer plek sonder hom. Ook n Namibier Sarie Alberts

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Prof Christo Viljoen published a comment .

Japie was 'n oudstudent van my en een van daardie enkele studente in elke jaargroep van ingenieurstudente wat uitstaan bo die ander (beide agv sy buitengewone intellek, maar ook sy aansteeklike persoonlikheid) en wat jy altyd onthou. By die eregradedinee in Des 2015 op Stellenbosch het hy na my gekom en kon ons lank gesels, en het hy met entoesiasme vertel van sy werk by Nasa. Hy het my been getrek met 'n opmerking wat ek teenoor hom tydens 'n Elektronika praktika gemaak het, en waartydens hy en sy paarmaat die battery se polariteit omgeruil het om te sien wat die tgransistorbaan doen (dit was in die dae van diskrete transistorbane) - iets wat maar liefs tussen ons sal bly. RIV.

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Michael Werner published a tribute .

Jakob with Charles Elachi, and Larry Simmons at the Cape in March, 2003

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Bob Johnson published a comment .

jakob is a remarkable man.

RIP

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Dc published a tribute .

Africa Has lost someone.....

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Dave Gallagher published a tribute .

Still reeling from the loss of Jakob. Found this picture on Kathy’s phone and it captures the infectious joy of Jakob and Kalfie and they gave it as a gift to everyone around them. Jakob was a teacher, a leader, an innovator, and a mentor. I was fortunate enough to work for him for many years. He would always make sure to give credit to others and was quick to take the blame when things went wrong (even if it wasn’t his fault).

Like all of you, I am thankful to have known him and Kalfie and know that his legacy will live on for decades to come.

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Annemie Kruger published a comment .

Sooo sad, such a loss but, but his legacy will stay forever.... strongs to Kalfie and their offspring. Annemie Badenhorst Kruger, from Gobabis, Namibia.....and now from Potchefstroom, Northwest Province, South Africa.

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Gary Helfeldt published a tribute .

It is only a very short time that I knew Jakob. We had yet to discover our mutual love of rugby. As a recent sponsor of his work to bring ground-breaking sensor technology to bear on the safety of rotary wing flight operations, I only met him in person once, and thankfully that included the finest Italian dining I could offer. In our short time of collaboration mostly by phone or video link, I had a glimpse of a fine mind and a great soul. Jakob radiated enthusiasm and joyfulness. Knowing how brief our time together was deepens my understanding of his loss to those who knew and loved him for so long. My most sincere condolences to all of his family, both filial and fraternal.

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Maeve McGrath published a tribute .

I met Jakob in March 2013, when I started a new job in the Director's Office at JPL. I was star-struck and nervous being among such respected scientists, but that was gone in about a week - Jakob was so welcoming, so humble and down-to-earth, that I felt at home. He was generous, kind, thoughtful, caring.
Jakob was a world-renowned scientist, but he didn’t let that change who he was. He was a mentor to many, a brilliant mind, and an amazing human being.
He made time for everybody. It did not matter what your position or title, if you had an idea or wanted to ask a question, he welcomed it. After seeing “The Martian,” where JPL figures prominently, I asked him if Mars could sustain life in the way that was portrayed. I felt silly asking such a basic science question, but Jakob was happy to talk to me and explain why it was possible to grow potatoes on Mars, with the right conditions. Working with him was always exciting.
He cared deeply about the Earth; its climate, its water, and most importantly, its inhabitants; from the smallest insect to the largest predator. He was confident of his own role within it and tried to keep science and nature in balance within himself. He will be sorely missed.

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Cinzia Zuffada published a tribute .

Dear Kalfie,
I was very saddened by the news of Jakob's so sudden passing, and my memory went back to early 1982 when I met him at Caltech in Prof. Papas EM class. Always friendly, quiet but very nice.His hair more more blonde then but otherwise he stayed remarkably the same. I have enjoyed working with him at JPL over the years and I respect him deeply as a colleague. Please accept my condolences, Cinzia

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Valinda Richardson published a tribute .

Dear Kalfie, please accept my condolences on the loss of Jakob. During his time on The Athenaeum's House Committee, I found him to be unfailingly kind and friendly, both online and in person. I am so very sorry for your loss. With deepest sympathy, Valinda

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Jim Rinaldi published a tribute .

Kalfie, Cindy and i were so saddened by the passing of Jakob. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. He was such an inspiration to me and always made me feel welcome to JPL from my first day to his last. God bless!

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Eric Rignot published a tribute .

Kalfie, Jakob was such a good man. Just thinking about him makes me smile. He was always in a good mood, always aware and present, and kind, and joking around. The only times he was not happy and even sad: when Yorky died and when his father died. When his father died and we saw him in the changing room that day, we knew something was very wrong. He was torn by his father's death of course but even more so by the fact that he could not go to South Africa to attend the funeral: it had been impossible to find a plane ticket at the last minute. When your dog Yorky died, Jakob was depressed for days and even weeks, it was sad to see him like that, it was a huge loss for him and you, it took him a long time to recover. It was a good dog. I understand this better now that I have a dog too. Yorky was like a son to you guys.

The rest of the time, an entire 30 years of interaction, I cannot think of a single day when Jakob was not jovial, smiling, and kind. He was an exceptional character. He was of course an extraordinary leader, super intelligent, quick, but especially capable of listening and not jumping into conclusions, asking simple questions, avoiding confrontations, always polite, "let me ask you this" "to be honest with you, I think the same thing" "but now let me tell you this ... ".

I have run almost every day since the cover-19 crisis broke out in March. Almost every day I think of Jakob and Leon because we have run so many times together, it shaped a part of my life, we are running alongside in my head .. and the mood is joyful.

My thoughts with you Kalfie. Jakob shall not be forgotten.

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Bonnie Rosen published a tribute .

I had the joy of getting to know Jakob as the CEO of Hydrosat during the Techstars Starburst Space Accelerator in 2019. In addition to clearly being brilliant and a force in his own right, he made time to advocate for the up-and-coming technologies of the other companies within the cohort. He did this quietly, no fanfare or thanks needed- he just spoke up for those he saw potential in for the future of space technology. I recall his warmth when he spoke of his wife, Kalfie, and the nature trip they were set to take in celebration of his birthday- if I recall correctly, they did this a bit later than his actual birthday due to his hectic travel and accelerator schedule. I recall the impression he had on some of the younger space technologists, having written works that they relied on for reference- a sort of space-science rockstar in their midst. I feel truly privileged that I was able to meet this wonderful man at such an exciting time in his life, trying on a big, new adventure as a startup founder, even after the many adventures he led at JPL. May we all be so brave.

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Chris Jonker published a comment .

Kalfie, ons hart gaan uit na jou

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Bob Cox published a comment .

Kalfie, You know how I feel about you and Jakob. A more supportive couple for the mission of JPL I can not imagine. Jakob was a wonderful friend and colleague who shared his concerns and encouragement equally. My experiences at JPL were more magnified from our love and respect for one another. I am saddened by Jakob's loss and for your loss. If I can do anything to help let me know. Prayers and peace.

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Steve Durden published a tribute .

Jakob was one of the first people that I worked with at JPL in the late 1980s. He was already a pioneer in the use of polarimetry in synthetic aperture radar. I very much appreciate his sharing with me his papers, Fortran code, insights, and especially his time.

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Mimi Aung published a tribute .

The attached photo was taken when Jakob and Keyur came to visit the Mars Helicopter Engineering Development Model (in 2018) ...

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Mimi Aung published a tribute .

Dear Kalfie,
Jakob was with the Mars Helicopter every step of the way from its inception and throughout all of its challenging road taken, to now in space and heading to Mars. Jakob had planned to be with the Mars Helicopter team in person when we get to finally perform the flight experiment at Mars next year. I feel incredibly sad to have to face the fact that Jakob will not be joining us then.

The attached photo was taken after our team had a brown-bag lunch with Jakob. We a great time visiting with him as you can see from the big smiles!

Thank goodness for Jakob. I will always be grateful for his quiet, kind and unwavering support, advice, his fundamental belief that we will succeed, and the wonderful gift of always keeping the sense of humor.

MiMi

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Kylara Martin published a tribute .

Dr. Van Zyl played an out-sized role in my decision to pursue Geophysics while at Caltech. His year-long remote sensing class ('04-'05) was the first time I truly grasped the wave equation, despite covering it in previous math and physics courses. Dr Van Zyl had a way of explaining physics that made it truly come alive, and he could break very complicated concepts into logical pieces and simple diagrams. His teaching of SAR is how I came to understand and utilize the active seismic techniques that formed the basis of my PhD and Post-doc. I still have the printouts of the book he was drafting at the time (us students helped give feedback before it went to the editor).
It meant a great deal as an undergraduate student to have one of JPL's top scientists and managers take the time to focus not just on teaching, but on teaching well. Dr Van Zyl's passion, decency, and intellect will echo through his students' careers and his legacy will still be seen in our students and those who follow them.

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Ozhen published a tribute .

So saddened about Jakob, hard to believe. What an amazing individual to work with - full of life, noble, sincere, decent and with bunch of humility! Such a kind soul who always respected everyone around him, and served as a great role model for us all. My thoughts and prayers are with his lovely wife Kalfie and his siblings. My his soul rest in peace.

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Jonas And Vilia Zmuidzinas published a comment .

Vilia and I attended a memorable 7x retreat in Santa Barbara years ago, when Jakob was the Director for. Jakob and Kalfie were very warm and welcoming to us, and we started to get to know them better. But it was the years 2011-16, when I was serving as Chief Technologist and Jakob was Associate Director, that we really interacted frequently, especially at work but also at social events, retreats, etc., and our friendship deepened. I spent many hours with Jakob in various meetings – he was a master at handling difficult discussions and situations with grace and humor, breaking up any tension and leading the meeting to a productive conclusion. He listened carefully and treated everyone with respect. He was an outstanding role model to managers around the lab. But if he had a little time to focus, he would pull out a pen and a pad of paper and start writing out long equations, developing his latest idea. He never lost that spark, never stopped thinking, dreaming, creating. Jakob always set very high goals for himself; he experienced outstanding success, and inevitably that also comes with an occasional disappointment. Though sadly it was far too short, Jakob’s was a life very well lived - Roosevelt would have approved. Those of us who were fortunate to know him are better for it. Kalfie, Vilia and I offer our hugs and our deepest, deepest condolences.

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Richard Carande published a tribute .

I first met Jakob for "real" when he became my supervisor in the JPL AIRSAR group in the early 1990's. I think the first thing he did was take 3 weeks off to go home to Namibia -- I never knew why until the past few weeks after reading all the accolades. What a man/scientist/citizen of the world. Since I left JPL in 1995, I have realized that I really only worked with him and knew him well for a few years. This seems odd to me when I think of the impact he's had on me -- surely we had a much longer time together -- but no, maybe only 4 years. In that time my wife and I got to know Kalfie, & Yorkie for course. Jakob turned me on to a life time habit of running for which I'm very grateful. He, through example, showed me how to steady my reaction to ideas (and people) I did not totally agree with. I can't really add much to what others have said here, except to point out the obvious: Jakob affected everyone he interacted with in a positive and enduring way. No exceptions. I for one am a much better person for knowing and working with him. Hugs to Kalfie; and we still have that "Kalfie Table" waiting for you in Colorado.

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Royce Dalby published a tribute .

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Royce Dalby published a tribute .

Jakob was my friend and partner at Hydrosat the last three years. He was a brilliant man, which almost goes without saying, as he had deep knowledge and a remarkable perceptiveness about so many issues of science, technology, business and politics. You couldn’t help but be awed by his intellect.

But what was especially noteworthy was his compassion for people and his strength as a leader. People who worked with Jakob didn’t just admire him, we loved him. He led by consensus and was careful to listen to different viewpoints, using persuasion rather than fiat to convince people of his perspective. Under his management, Hydrosat came together as a team and began to realize our shared vision. One of the pictures here is from our founding meeting in his home office more than two years ago. We had several meetings at his house, where Kalfie always pulled out all the stops and treated us to delicious Namibian barbecues.

The other picture is of the team at Techstars in LA last summer. During Techstars, when we tried to juggle the 12-hours of meetings the incubator threw at us every day with ongoing contract work for the Air Force and deliverables for ESA, the one thing that kept us going was Jakob’s sense of humor. He was the funniest person I know, and he could always come up with a (usually inappropriate) hysterical joke to make us laugh and ease the stress.

I miss him terribly, and the company already suffers in his absence.

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Hal Yorke published a tribute .

I last talked extensively to Jakob at LAX early 2020, when we both arrived more than an hour too early for our flight to DC (I by design, Jakob by accident). He was his usual effervescent self. We had a very pleasant and entertaining pre-flight conversation, catching up on Hydrosat, SOFIA and life in general. It is hard to believe that someone so lively, active and enthusiastic about so many things is no longer with us. Kalfie, I am so sorry for your loss.

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Meiling Chen published a tribute .

Behind that brilliant mind was a kind and gentle heart.
Your kindness and warmth reached all whom you came in contact, no matter who we are.
Your impact on us is deep and profound – we are inspired to be as kind a human being as you..
It was so sad to see you leaving JPL,
It was unbearable to learn you are no longer among us..
May you rest in peace and God bring comfort to Kalfie and us all.

With highest respect and heavy heart
on 9/5/20

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Michele Judd published a tribute .

I loved Jakob because he loved the same things I did: Kalfie, space exploration, a close circle of friends who would be there for you no matter what, and small white dogs. If Jakob was anywhere near you, his magnetic smile and personality reached out to you and gently pulled you into his orbit. I never left that orbit and I am a better person for it. He taught me that some fights and stands are worth taking if you want to respect yourself and stay true to your values. He showed me that when you love someone as much as he loved Kalfie, you do whatever it takes to make them know they are the sun that rises for you and gives your life light – even if it means dressing up in Downton Abbey gear for a party. Jakob lives on in the many lives he touched, and that’s a universe worth living in - because if he was in your life, it was an immeasurably better one.

(This photo was one of the last times I saw Jakob at JPL. He had already retired to make his Hydrosat dream a reality. Here he is receiving the highest honor NASA can bestow - the 2019 NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal.)

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David Bearden published a tribute .

I don't remember when I met Jakob which is likely because Jakob was one of those guys who is so open, so friendly, so approachable that you feel like you've known him your entire life. He engendered a deep trust, connection and respect almost immediately. He was a mentor to me and a big part of encouraging me and helping me to join the lab in 2017 - I will always be indebted to him for that. A great regret is that I didn't join much earlier so that I could have learned at his knee for much longer. Another great regret (or really envy) is that I didn't have even a fraction of that mane of hair . . . so unfair! :)

There are many memories but two that stick in my mind during this time of tremendous loss. Both were from the JPL holiday party a few years ago. I briefly met you Kalfie and then you and Jakob went out on the dance floor. My wife and I watched almost transfixed. You can tell a lot about partners in the way they dance: yours was effortless and fluid -- I didn't know anything more about your marriage, but could tell in that moment that you had known each other and been together, intertwined and inseparable for your entire life. I was not surprised to find out later and to read your history here that you in fact did meet as soul mates at a very young age -- I could tell by the way you danced that you have a very special relationship. At that same dinner, Jakob showed me some video of you two reuniting with elephants in South Africa during one of your annual trips over the New Year . . . I remember thinking how they were like your children or family and came running up to you to welcome you . . . even though they hadn't seen you for at least a year I expect. The proverbial "Elephants never forget" :) Those elephants will miss Jakob as will I for the rest of my life.

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Scott Hensley published a tribute .

By the time I arrived at JPL in 1990 as part of a team from Hughes Aircraft working on the Magellan radar Jakob was already well established as one of the intellectual leaders of the Radar Section at JPL. During my first couple of years at JPL I did not interact very often with Jakob but one thing was readily evident – he was a really nice guy and willing to help explain or discuss new ideas even with people not in his group and new to the section. I remember consulting with Jakob in may early days with my questions on radar polarimetry and he always took the time to provide me with a clear and complete explanations. I was very grateful in finding a willing mentor to help me bridge the fairly steep learning curve given the poor quality of the texts available at the time on the subject (he has helped fix that problem!). This is an attitude and policy I have tried to emulate throughout my career as I have trained many new engineers and scientists as they started their careers at JPL.

A few years later I worked on the GeoSAR radar, a first of a kind dual frequency single pass airborne interferometer. This was a challenging program both technically and programmatically. I was the lead scientist and Jakob graciously agreed to be the Project Manager while also acting as Section Manager of the radar section. We got to work together closely for the first time on this project. We developed together a really complete system engineering document for interferometric radar system development that was a guiding example of the many radar interferometers developed subsequently at JPL. Not only did we get to work together on a challenging technical project I also began to really appreciate how capable a manager Jakob was at this time. His handling of organization both inside and outside JPL really helped smooth some of the very difficult interactions from the various groups. I don’t know how he did it but no matter how tense or contentious the situation became he always had a calm demeanor and an optimistic attitude that helped diffuse those tense moments.

Over the years we taught a couple of courses together at various conferences. I always appreciated Jakob’s teaching style and the way he always wanted to make radar remotes sensing, and in particular radar polarimetry, accessible to his students. It was great fun collaborating with him on the material and the last few years I was always to guest lecture for his class at Caltech when he had conflicts and was unable to be there. I don’t think any of his students will ever forget what a great teacher he was in addition to being world famous scientist.

Even as Jakob rose through the ranks to become one of the laboratory’s key leaders and he would still always make time on his calendar when I wanted to consult with him. He always greeted with me that great smile of his and never seemed stressed by the pressure of his job. Whenever our paths crossed on Lab he would take time to inquire how I was doing and he always maintained an interest in what was happening in the radar section.

My last major professional interactions with Jakob was while he was Director of Solar System Exploration. I was working on a Discovery Mission proposal to return to Venus (which we are submitting again this year) for which Jakob provided tremendous support and leadership. His enthusiasm for the project was greatly appreciated and if we are successful in getting this mission it will be in part to his support and leadership that we made it that far.

I have had the great fortune in my career to work with some of world’s best radar remote sensing scientists and I count working with Jakob among best persons I had the privilege to work with. Whether in a professional or social setting Jakob always made you feel at ease and I will surely miss my interactions with him. I can truly say that Jakob has had a lasting impact on my life and he will never be forgotten. I miss my friend and colleague.

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David Bearden published a comment .

I don't remember when I met Jakob which is likely because Jakob was one of those guys who is so open, so friendly, so approachable that you feel like you've known him your entire life. He engendered a deep trust, connection and respect almost immediately. He was a mentor to me and a big part of encouraging me and helping me to join the lab in 2017 - I will always be indebted to him for that. A great regret is that I didn't join much earlier so that I could have learned at his knee for much longer. Another great regret (or really envy) is that I didn't have even a fraction of that mane of hair . . . so unfair! :)

There are many memories but two that stick in my mind during this time of tremendous loss. Both were from the JPL holiday party a few years ago. I briefly met you Kalfie and then you and Jakob went out on the dance floor. My wife and I watched almost transfixed. You can tell a lot about partners in the way they dance: yours was effortless and fluid -- I didn't know anything more about your marriage, but could tell in that moment that you had known each other and been together, intertwined and inseparable for your entire life. I was not surprised to find out later and to read your history here that you in fact did meet as soul mates at a very young age -- I could tell by the way you danced that you have a very special relationship. At that same dinner, Jakob showed me some video of you two reuniting with elephants in South Africa during one of your annual trips over the New Year . . . I remember thinking how they were like your children or family and came running up to you to welcome you . . . even though they hadn't seen you for at least a year I expect. The proverbial "Elephants never forget" :) Those elephants will miss Jakob as will I for the rest of my life.

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Eugene Chu published a tribute .

I first met Jakob when we took some of the same classes while working on our MS at Caltech. One thing I noticed about everyone I met at Caltech was how much better prepared for grad school they were than I was. Jakob stood out among them as someone just a little more clever, and a lot friendlier.

I remember I was in the library one night looking for a book to help me work on a final exam. As I read through its pages, I saw that someone had written the words "ECP's final is non-trivial". As I was leaving, I saw Jakob come in, with Kalfie, probably looking for the same book. I pointed him to where it was, and mentioned the inscription. He just chuckled and kind of took it in stride.

Another time I remember we were both in the engineering library, each working on our respective problems. I kind of mentioned to him about how hard a time I was having with the classes, that I got into Caltech kind of by accident, and that maybe I just didn't belong there. He chuckled and told me: "EVERYBODY's having a hard time here. It's the job of the professors to make life difficult for us." I still had a hard time with my classes, but I was less discouraged after our chat.

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Yunjin Kim published a tribute .

I met Jakob at the IEEE Antenna and Propagation conference in June 1989. Since then, Jakob was my mentor and supervisor at JPL. The most important lesson that I learned from Jakob is that we must listen to others completely and attentively before we answer. I am practicing what I learned from Jakob and it has made me a better person. His teaching will live with me and I will teach the next generation, so that Jakob will never be forgotten.

Jakob was also my research partner. We loved to find new applications of polarimetric SAR. To attend meetings and conferences, we traveled all over the world. I enjoyed these adventures very much. We interacted with many researchers and learned many applications. We believed that what we studied would be useful in the future. Jakob had an extraordinary capability of visualizing complex processes. He could often use just one picture to show the complex process. His polarimetric signature plot is a great example.

Jakob was CEO and the leader of Hydrosat after we both retired from JPL. His dream was to develop a constellation of small satellites that could produce the same commercial/science products at much lower costs. The Hydrosat co-founders will continue to work hard to fulfill his dream. We also had a lot of fun after we retired. Young Mi (my wife) and I joined Kalfie, Jakob, and their friends to celebrate the fourth of July by riding a fire truck (see the photo).

If somebody asks me who Jakob was, my answer will be Jakob was a man with big heart, and he embraced all his friends with kindness and generosity.

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Elsie Zinsser published a tribute .

Hiermee my innige meegevoel aan Kalfie en die Van Zyl en Louw families.

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Pascale Dubois published a tribute .

Jakob was my boss in the basement of 334... I loved every minute of it...
Jakob was such a special person. Eric reminded me of one of his habit when he did not quite agree with you… « I agree with you, but let me just say one thing…. » With this sentence, I could see myself with him, talking and discussing. He did not like conflict, I think. But this does not mean he had not a clear opinion. He knew how to convince people better than anyone. Maybe because he was such a smart person… and he was often right in his ideas and beliefs… But also because he knew that in order to have people change their mind, you have to respect them and little by little, step by step, he would shift my beliefs, never with any agressivity, he would not point out the flaws of my reasonning but make me discover them by myself.
I remember his « yeehaa ! » that he picked up when we were in Tombstone, on this field trip, in the town where bars were like real saloons and where the local crowd looked like just out of a cowboy movie. In one of this saloon, one evening, one guy commented on Jakob and Eric’ s hair cut… « Are they guys or girls ? » He used to joke about that ….
During our corner reflector adventures, in response to my complain that there were never any vegetable in those restaurants, he told me that in South Africa, Chicken was in the vegetable food group ! »
During one of this trip, we drove past the Kelso sand dune. He had told us about the growling of the dune when you run downhill… And I was very impressed with this story. So eventhough it was 110°F, and in the middle of the afternnon, I insisted that we stopped. I have to tell you that on that trip, we mounted corner reflectors in the desert heat by stuffing our hats with icecubes… It was so incredible hot…. But here we were, close to the big white dunes, andI wanted to hike the dune up and to run downhill. He mentionned the high temperature and the danger of such a hike but that could not convince me otherwise. I told him ‘I want to do it’ Eric or Fred were also ready to test the dune. We started towards the dune and we realized that Jakob was also walking with us. He felt responsible of our well-being and was afraid we would get in trouble. Always taking care of us…
And then, I decided to move back to France and then again, he was by my side, making it easier for me…. I kept on working for him on full year while in France… Thanks again to this incredible boss….
Seeing the AIRSAR team in a teleconf made me realise how important those years at JPL were for me, how it shaped my future and also my personnality as a professional. Jakob’s standards were so high. I could not help thinking that it was because he wanted to be worth of his incredible wife…. The pair Kalfie Jakob was an exemple to follow….

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Kalfie Van Zyl published a tribute .

I just want to acknowledge the outpouring of love, compassion, and respect to Japie. We had a wonderful and amazing life together. We shared the sands of the Namib desert to the sands of the Red Planet. Leonardo and I will miss him dearly.

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Kotie Cloete (Siemens) published a comment .

Dis so hartseer, Baie sterkte vorentoe, Kotie Siemens

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Elydia Dames Barnard published a comment .

Liewe Kalfie, ons sal hom nooit vergeet nie! . Hy was 'n besonderse mens-mens. Julle verhouding was alreeds in die skool vir my iets heel anders en inspirerend. Ek was 'n St 6'ie toe julle matriek was. Dit voel soos gister.
Ek vou 'n trooskombersie oor jou. Ek het my man ook 4jr gelede verloor en daarom weet ek geen woorde gaan nou troos nie. Onthou al die baie mooi, pak hulle baie gereeld uit, dink en kyk met deernis daarna, en weet net... Ons verstaan nie nou nie. Niks en niemand gaan dit nou beter maak nie, maar ek kan vir jou sê... Dit word sagter. Dankbaar dat ek 'n persoonlike boodskappie vir jou kan stuur. Ek hou jou teen my hart.
Baie liefde groete

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Sarie En Chris Van Sittert published a comment .

Liewe Kalfie,
Sulke tye het mens nie woorde ni. Bid jou sterkte toe. Lees ma Ps121 en veral vers 2.
Sarie en Chris.
Tsumeb Namibia

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Beatrix Voges Nel published a comment .

RIV Japie. Sal jou altyd onthou en vir jou prestasies. Kalfie ek onthou in die Hoerskoolkoshuis waar ons saam was, hoe bly jy was as Japie vir jou kom kuier het. Ek het altyd gedink watter mooi paartjie julle maak. Ek dink aan jou en bid dat Jesus jou styf vashou en vertroos. Ook die pad vorentoe saam jou sal wees. Sterkte liewe Kalfie.

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Maritjie Van Der Merwe - Van Zyl published a comment .

Kalfie wat kan ek se, dit is werklk so ongelooflik sad.
Japie het Namibia op die map gesit -met sy wonderlike prestaties en sy medemenslikheid.
Ek was in St 5 toe jy in St 9 was in Outjo kosthuis. Onthou jou as n pragtige en vriendelike senior.

Alles van die beste en ek hoop jy vind berusting deur al julle gelukkige tye saam te onthou.

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Elaine Swanepoel published a comment .

Sterkte Kalfie - Ons dink aan jou in die hartseertyd. Dit was ook vir ons n voorreg om Japie te kon ken en saam met julle te kuier. Julle was voorbeeld van n lieftevolle paartjie. Hoop om weer eendag saam met jou in Swakopmund te kuier. Baie liefde Elaine Swanepoel xx

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Lynne Norikane Newberry published a comment .

I am so sorry for your loss, Kalfie. I knew Jakob in his and my early years at JPL and remember him as always happy, always friendly to everyone he encountered. It was just such a pleasure to have him around. And such a great runner. I could never keep up! He was truly loved by all.

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Katey Velazquez published a tribute .

I had the privilege of working alongside Jakob for over 15 years. One of my favorite things about Jakob was how he had the ability to make the office such a positive, fun environment – a place where you wanted to be. He was always in a happy mood, with a big smile on his face. I could always tell when he was close to the office because I’d hear him snapping his fingers and whistling joyfully, long before I’d hear his footsteps walking down the hallway. One thing I knew I could count on daily, was the cheerful way he declared “Good morning!” to everyone when he arrived. Unless I happened to say good morning first, in which case he’d snap back jokingly “What’s so good about it?” Working for him never felt like just a job, but rather something I looked forward to everyday. He was an excellent listener and had this amazing way of making you feel comfortable, respected and heard, all at the same time.

My favorite memory of him outside of JPL was when he and Kalfie attended my wedding in 2007. He was very sick that day but still made the effort to be there, because that’s the kind of amazing person he was. He and Kalfie were the stars of the dance floor that night – something my friends and family, to this day, still talk about! It was such a joy to watch them having so much fun together.

Those of us lucky enough to have had the opportunity to know Jakob, will never forget him. There are very few like him in this world. He was one of my very favorite people and will be missed tremendously.

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Willie Nel published a comment .

So Sorry for the loss Katey - Still recall the 2018 visit to JPL so fondly! In the last two months I had the privilege of meeting with Japie every week. And it truly was the highlight of the week. May you find comfort in his loving memory.

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Prya Darshni published a tribute .

I'm devastated, shocked, heartbroken and deeply saddened to hear about the sudden demise of Dr. Jakob Van Zyl, former director of NASA JPL solar system exploration. I'm just a student, still yet, he helped me so much, encouraged me so much! He always made time for me. He is so humble and always so positive. I even interacted with him recently. He told me to stay safe during covid. Every time, I have a problem, he is one person, I'd reach out to and he always gave me valuable advice. I would email/text him and he will surely respond with a solution. He always tried his best to help others and made time. Such a kind-hearted person!!! He is an immigrant and always empathised with international students like myself.... Always cheerful... His contributions to engineering is immense!! He is both a great scientist and a great administrator. He has so much empathy for everyone around him. . He always spoke so highly of Dr. Charles Elachi, his PhD advisor and former director of JPL. This act taught us students to have gratitude and to always remember everyone that helps us. He is an inspiration for so many students!! It’s a huge and unbearable loss!! I cannot even fathom how much pain his family and Dr. Elachi are in, right now...His family is in my prayers... Rest In Peace Dr. Jakob!! We all love you so much!!

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Rolene Oosthuizen published a tribute .

Dit was altyd opvallend dat dr. Japie gepraat het in die taal van ons wat nie al daardie terme verstaan of begrip voor kon hê nie. Dit was elke Sondagaand iets om na uit te dien as dr. Japie ook op Sterre en planete opgetree het. Ons treur saam met sy vrou Kalfie en ander familie oor hierdie groot man, broer se heengaan. Ons eer sy nagedagtenis! Rolene Oorshuizen, Albertinia. Suid- Afrika
Japie van Zyl, we salute you! RIP.

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Rina Clayton published a comment .

U spreek vir baie van ons RSG STERRE EN PLANETE

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Masanonu Shimada published a tribute .

Jacob wrote too many literatures which impacted significantly us. His atmosphere is gentle and becomes very active for discussing or explaining the hot topics. His appearance did not change for last thirty years. Especially, his hear style. His hair style looks like John Lennon’s of mid 1960s. Thus, polarimetry and the Beatles sound have a strong meaning to me because the both challenges to future. He looks young for last thirty years. Thus, this new did not make me understand. I stayed in JPL 1990 at radar science and engineering division, it was governed by 30 years old all young researchers. Jacob is one of them. They meet and discuss everywhere in corridor or in cafeteria. I was impressed by such busy research situation. This situation was totally different from Japan.
I cannot find the picture with Jacob because of changing my computer. But Jacob’s smiling face always in me and attracts us.
Kalfie, you certainly have a tough time, but Jacob will be with you forever. And we will never forget him.

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Rina Clayton published a comment .

Well said so meaningful

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Charles And Valerie Elachi published a tribute .

Jakob, in his gentle way, enriched the lives of everyone he met, as a friend, colleague, mentor, teacher, student...
I met Jakob at Caltech in 1982, when he came from Namibia to get his Masters Degree. As fate or luck would have it, he registered in the remote sensing class I was teaching and it became immediately obvious to me that here was a brilliant mind. Several months later I talked him into staying for a PhD. He became my TA, the best I ever had. After he graduated, he joined JPL and we worked on many projects and papers together. When I became JPL Director he took over my class and we jointly published the second edition of the class textbook "Physics and Techniques of Remote Sensing". Just three days before he passed away we finished the third edition of the book.

He made tremendous contributions to many JPL and NASA missions. Just as a recent example, several years ago, after listening to a seminar on Earth Drones, I asked Jakob if we could do something similar on Mars. He brought together and brainstormed with a group of JPL engineers. Well, fast forward, and a helicopter is being carried to Mars on the Perseverance Rover that will reach Mars in February 2021.
During all those 38 years we became close friends with he and Kalfie. We regularly enjoyed dinners together at a small, local Mexican restaurant and over Margaritas, "solved the problems of the world". Wherever we went, Jakob was always cheerful and full of humor. We went together on a numerous adventurous trips: drove across the Andes, hiked across the Sierras, sailed in the Great Barrier Reef, Climbed Matchu Pitchu, visited the wineries in Stellanbosch, hiked down (and up) the Grand Canyon...always Jakob was superb company and made these trip more exciting and fun.
He was a Gentleman, a Scholar, a Leader, a Giver and most importantly, a special Friend. He will be in our hearts forever.

Now that he is stardust, the night sky is brighter.

Charles (and Valerie)

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Rina Clayton published a comment .

❤️

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Paul Rosen published a tribute .

Jakob with SRTM leadership from JPL and NIMA, circa 1999.

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Coetzee published a comment .

Kalfie ons bid jou sterkte toe op jou pad vorentoe. Die verlies en hartseer is groot maar herinneringe is ewig. Ons sien jou in Namibia. Bonnie en Maryna

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Mariet published a tribute .

Kalfie, jy bly in my hart, gedagtes én gebede en ek wéét dat jou christenskap die paspoort is wat jou deur hierdie klankgrens van smart sal dra en dat Heilige Gees jou nóóít sal alleen laat nie. Baie sterkte, veral vir vandag. Ál my liefde Mariet Hugo & kinders (Tant Katoo en oom Hansie)

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Wiltrud (Myburgh) Fourie published a tribute .

Liewe Kalfie, baie sterkte en liefde aan jou in hierdie tyd, ons dink baie aan jou. Jy en Japie het ons almal trots gemaak. Liefdegroete

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Leon Maldonado published a tribute .

Jakob's running pictures

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Bruce Chapman published a tribute .

Here is a screen capture from some members of JPL's AIRSAR group, which Jakob led in the 1990s, recalling memories of Jakob with Kalfie (September 3, 2020). We will miss Jakob, but never forget him.

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Katie Armstrong published a tribute .

I came to know and worked with Jakob beginning in the early 2000s. He was such a wonderful boss, so kind, even-tempered, thoughtful, fair, respectful, generous, and looked for opportunities for humor, which was always very much appreciated!
He and Kalfie helped me immensely with their personal support during a very tough few years of my life - kindness I will never forget.
We shared the love of animals (particularly dogs) and running, and nature, and we often discussed these things when we needed a mental break from the stress of work (photo attached must have been a very stressful day :-) . Jakob made work more fun. I treasure the years we worked together.
I am so sad that Jakob is gone so young. He is one who has left a positive footprint on Planet Earth, and he had so much more good to do in the world. His legacy will live on. As Jakob continues to inspire, we should remember his wise words “the sky is not the limit.”
Jakob and Kalfie together were such a beautiful example of a wonderful marriage – this fact touched me from when I first was told that they had really been a pair since elementary school. My heart goes out to Kalfie, and both Jakob and Kalfie will always have a warm place in my heart, of fond memories and gratitude.
The words below from the Keck Institute for Space Studies below couldn’t be more perfect:
“he inspired students from around the globe with his passion for space exploration, his proof that you can be both a gentleman and a scholar, and illustrating that brilliant minds can also be nurturing, loving and kind.”
Jakob and Kalfie always have a place in my heart,
Katie Armstrong

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Mumin published a tribute .

I met Jakob during my first few weeks as an undergrad intern at JPL. We were invited to an ECH luncheon at the Caltech Athenaeum. I took a seat at a random table on the edge of the courtyard. A few minutes later, Jakob sat down and introduced himself to us. He was charming, funny, magnetic, and incredibly witty. I remember telling my wife that night that I had never met anyone quite like him. He carried the conversation, asking us about how we got here, what we were interested in, and what we hoped to accomplish. Some time in, another intern sat down and asked Jakob if he was also an intern. With a large smile, Jakob replied that no, he was not. At that time, several of us proceeded to fill our colleague in that Jakob was the associate director of JPL. "Oops".

Thank you for making me feel welcome at JPL and being my friend, Jakob.

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Marietjie Van Staden published a tribute .

PLEASE NOTE: South African time
Japie's memorial service starts at 17h50 South African time

https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_MzYzNDY5YWEtYTA3ZS00OWQyLThkYmYtMjFjMzQ3YTg3ZTgw%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22a36f2074-1481-468d-aee6-da70d6b36a70%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%229f215575-cb0a-4e88-8d65-557fee67fddb%22%7d

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Ridha Touzi published a tribute .

When I think about Polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), I think of JAKOB VanZyl. Kennaugh, Huynen and Boerner have been our school in the theory of polarimetry, but Jakob was the first who has introduced the polarimetry in SAR. He was the Pioneer of SAR polarimetry who built& calibrated the first-ever “polarimetric” airborne SAR (AIRSAR) in 1986. JAKOB has been a School for me in SAR Polarimetry & Calibration. He was a Big Leader in POLSAR (Methodology& analysis, and Calibration). I have learned a lot from him on SAR polarimetry & calibration from his papers and his Books. Jacob was also a very nice person.
I am really going to miss him and miss his warn smile. I am sure I am not the Only one. All the polarimetric SAR & Calibration community will do so.

My sincere sympathies go to his family.
Toutes mes sincères condoléances. Je leur souhaite beaucoup de patience dans cette dure épreuve.
MERCI encore JAKOB pour tout ce que tu nous a appris et ta générosité sans limites. Tu resteras dans notre cœur à jamais.

Ridha Touzi, Canada Centre for Remote Sensing
PS. Attached a picture with Jakob and Wolfgang Boerner at the POLSAR Workshop (Niigata) organized by Yamaguchi Sama in 2012

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Michael Werner published a tribute .

I had the great good fortune to work closely with Jakob for several years while he headed 7x and I was the Chief Scientist. He was a good friend, a powerful and considerate leader, and an outstanding scientist in his own right. One of my strongest memories is of one of the very infrequent occasions when he showed flashes of anger and frustration at the inability of some of our scientists to get organized. I realized that his calm and good-natured demeanor made such an outburst much more effective than if he was constantly on the warpath, which is the style of some of my colleagues and gets old in a hurry. I also enjoyed his stories of life in Namibia, which – as I recall - revolved around his father administering justice while sitting around the campfire in a tribal village.

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Elsabe published a comment .

Kalfie baie sterkte ek bid vir jou

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Elize Van Zyl published a comment .

Dink aan jou Kalfie

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Mari Du Toit published a tribute .

Ek ween-ween-ween. Wat n ongelooflike verlies vir die Heelal.

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Hugo Vermeulen published a tribute .

Although, we never met we became family since 2018. Japie was the guest speaker at our annual teacher conference in South Africa in 2018. In 2019 we started the dr Japie van Zyl Robotics Society - to provide training and help for teachers in Robotics and coding. Our organisation, the Skoleondersteuningsentrum, will make sure that Japie’s legacy will continue and that more Japie’s will be developed from Southern Africa. Good bye my humble friend. Thank you for your friendship, help and inpiring talks. Thank you Kalfie - you are the silent hero in many aspects of Japie’s life. You are a remarkable women.

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Ulf Israelsson published a tribute .

Dear Kalfie,

I have many vivid memories of moments I have shared with Jakob over the years both at work at JPL and during personal time together. Many of my most treasured memories are from our time running together, both during running lunch breaks at JPL, during weekends, or local half-marathon races. For many years, my wife Tarnie and I had the fortune to spend regular weekend mornings walking or running in the Pasadena Rose Bowl area. Kalfie and Tarnie would walk the loop, and Jakob and I would run. Sometimes he would run substantially longer than I was able to do in the ~1 hour it took for our wives to walk around, but often he stayed with me at my more leisurely pace, chatting about life in general, talking about his many interests, solving problems, or sometimes just enjoying being outside in solitude within the rhythm of running. After finishing our runs, we would have brunch at the Rose Bowl Brookside Golf Course restaurant, cooling off, drinking what seemed like gallons of Arnold Palmers, and enjoying scrambled eggs with in-house made bread, butter, and jelly! I will treasure these memories forever and I am grateful that I had the good fortune to know and learn from Jakob. He remains an inspiration to me in so many ways.
I am sharing a few photos of Jakob from various parties.

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Ulf Isrelsson published a comment .

Forgot to sign!
With Love and deepest sympathy.
We will miss him greatly.
Tarnie and Ulf Israelsson

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Ulf Israelsson published a tribute .

Birthday celebration..
Tarnie & Ulf

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Ulf Israelsson published a tribute .

Photo from an Athenaeum party.

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Grant Kendall-Bell published a tribute .

Jakob and the Hydrosat Team outside of the Techstars Starburst Space Accelerator in summer 2019. I remember meeting this powerhouse team for the first time while working at the Techstars Space program. It was a pleasure getting to know Jakob and learning about the incredible life he led, he will be dearly missed, and his memory will live on through all of us. Thank you for the great impact you had on all our lives Jakob, may you rest in peace.

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Eric Rignot published a tribute .

Kalfie, I want to talk about Jakob as my colleague at JPL. I started working with him when he joined 334, after I talked to Diane Evans because my supervisor at the time was trying to crush me and I needed to breathe fresh air. I remember how Diane welcomed me when I asked to work with her and said "I am delighted to hear this". Jakob was the same smile. Made me feel more welcome than ever at JPL. I had just finished my PhD. My former boss gave a $50 bonus. Jakob asked to adjust my salary to other PhD and I got a 30% raise. I had a young family them, this was huge for me. More important, when I asked him what to work on, he told me "whatever you like, as long as this can be useful for SIR-C". I worked on soil moisture, we had a lot of fun time in Tombstone, AZ, biomass, land cover mapping, freeze-thaw, and many others. One day he came to my office and said "we should work on radar interferometry. The guys upstairs do not want to share their software, but it cannot be that complicated, so let us do it ourselves". Which we did. and this really launched my career. We even wrote a paper out of it that remains one of our top 10 most cited paper. Around that time, Jakob also landed on my desk an idea for a paper that we eventually published in Science with Steve Astro that compared Greenland radar echoes with Jupiter's moon radar echoes. We basically found them to be similar, which explained a lot of the strangeness of the Jupiter moon's echos. I lead the paper but Jakob had the original idea of checking things out. We did not work so closely together after but often exchange ideas, new ways to do soil moisture with InSAR, polarimetry, and other things. Mixed up with rugby because we both loved rugby.
When we were at conference, Jakob was a rock star. He always dressed nice, he attracted crowds at his talks but the best part is that he had a flock of people following him everywhere, his fan club, seriously, it was funny to see half of the room leave after the talk and gather around him outside the room. They would want to hear any word the man had to say.
There are couple of things he did at JPL that made a difference. First, when he finally moved to section manager, after years of being kept downstairs because he was the only one daring to tell our section manager that what he wanted to do sometimes was stupid, I told him I would be interested to take the job. He greeted me with a smile and said i would be a wonderful supervisor. He did not give me the job however and I was really annoyed. I second guessed wrong who got the job and was even more annoyed. In his office, he told me that he thought this was the best decision for my scientific career. I did not believe it. Eventually though, things sunk in. Years later, at least 5-6 years later, during a run with just him, i told him "Jakob, when you decided not to give me that job to preserve my scientific career, you were right. I wanted to tell you that". He replied "I knew you would say that one day". He was very pleased, not surprised, not disappointed I took so long to recognize it. Well, he was my friend after all. So that what friends do.
On a science level, Jakob was one of the most amazing people I ever met, if the not the most amazing. His memory was mesmerizing, his grasp of what was going on in a few seconds was amazing, his curiosity and open mind for any topic was inspiring. He was operating at a different level from all of us. He was inspirational. He was an angel.
A second thing he did was the following. One day I got really annoyed someone took one of the things I was working on and published a quick paper in my back. HE smiled when I told him and said "I know how you feel, the same thing happened to me before and I understand how frustrating it can be. But let me tell you this. You have good ideas and people steal them. The people who steal ideas will keep stealing ideas because that's all they can do. The people who have good ideas keep having good ideas". This is so true. I kept this in my mind my entire career. It helped me at times when my colleagues were dubious about my results but I knew I was right. It helped me keep my head high. That's the kind of inspiration he gave me. In my research career, Jakob has been a huge influence through what he said to me, watch him operate, have the chance to work with him. He was one of the most inspirational character I ever met. I am so grateful I was able to share all these years with him, I truly feel blessed. He was an angel from another world. He was also my friend. How cool is that? Eric-

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Eric Rignot published a tribute .

Kalfie, This was in 2009, we looked so young ... as you probably remember, the guards would confuse us (curly hair? long hair? I do not know really). Sometimes we would not go run at the same time. He or I would come at the gate and the guard would stop us "Hey, did not I see you come on the lab just ten minutes ago?"
Hugs Eric-

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Eric Rignot published a tribute .

Hi Kalfie,
Jakob was my running partner for 30 years, along with Leon Maldonado. This is a picture of the three of us at the Arroyo Seco race in 2009 where we ran with the same colors. We probably ran 25,000 miles together, we had a lot of fun times, a lot of emulations among us. When I started running with them, I was just trying to keep up, they were much better runners. I am grateful they took me under their wings and made me a better runner. Running with them at noon eventually became the highlight of my day and my most favorite sport. There was always constant joking around, which was a good thing, because when we were quiet that usually meant we were going all out. Back them, running at 6:30 a mile was routine. I am happy to run at 7:30 a mile these days. We keep streaks of how many times we could run the last mile under 5:30 a mile provided that we ran less than 6 miles (if we exceeded 6 miles, we did not need to keep the streak). At one point, we even counted streaks at 5:15 a mile, or two miles under 5:30 in a row. Crazy. I stopped the streaks around 232, which was my cholesterol level. As you know both Jakob and I had high cholesterol, but mostly the good kind. I ran much less with Jakob in the last year, in fact none at all, and I missed that. Since I moved to Irvine, I only ran less than once a week with them, but strangely their presence is attached to my sport daily, I always have the ghost of them running with me, I cannot get rid of something like this that has been with me for 30 years, but I do not mind, it is kind of nice to run along with them like this. Jakob was the life of our team, always in a good mood, joking, keeping us on the right mind set. He was also a hell of a runner, very strong, and very well aware of his body, he knew when to slow down, when to pick up, how to adjust, in his own way. We also ran a ton of races together, La Jolla, Santa Clarita, the LA Marathon a few times with Mohammed Ali waving at us at the start, the first Mount Wilson race in Altadena with him when we trail behind the top lady (very beautiful and very strong, I never caught up with her but Jakob beat me that day and caught up with her before the finish line). With Leon and Jakob, we never talked about work. When I was running with Jakob we would talk about rugby or science. These guys are like brothers in arm to me. Forever. Hugs. Eric

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Jim Graf published a tribute .

Much can be said about Jakob’s professional achievements. He was a terrific leader and exemplar of management at JPL. He was extraordinarily special in that he retained his ability to perform leading edge radar science even as he moved further and further up the management chain at JPL.

Jakob was a great person – forthright and willing to help and mentor professionally or personally at any time. He had an extremely quick wit and could find humor in almost any situation and, as the particular condition got worse, his humor got better and he was able to defuse the immediate situation. This gift is sorely missed at JPL during the difficult pandemic period.

Certainly, no memory of Jakob would be complete without commenting on his big, wide, friendly smile, which was often shared with all his friends and associates. The smile made all of us feel welcome and made for a friendly and fun interaction. The smile was the visible manifestation of his warm and engaging personality, which is just one of his many unique attributes.

One particular memory I would like to share:

March 2017 – Paris, France. The reason for the trip was the spring meeting of the IAF. Although there were long days of work, we had many free evenings and spouses came with many of us. One evening, Jakob and Kalfie organized a trip for a broad group to visit the Eiffel tower. The evening weather turned nasty and there was a blustering wind, heavy rain, and freezing temperatures. We all went to the top of the Eiffel Tower and were drenched and shivering yet Jakob bought us champagne which we sipped and totally enjoyed the experience. We laughed, joked, and clowned around at the top of the Tower, with all of Paris at our feet. The experience is an example of the lust for life that Jakob had, and how he and Kalfie could share it with their friends. A photo is attached. It is a memory that we will always cherish.

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Franz Meyer published a tribute .

Here a photo of Jakob from 2012 during a radar workshop in Taiwan. I like this photo as it shows Jakob next to Wolfgang Boerner. Both were greats in the field of SAR and both have since passed. Jakob was such an exceptional person both professionally and personally. I am glad I got the chance to meet and work with him. He will be missed.

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Joel Johnson published a tribute .

I first met Jakob in 1993 when as a graduate student I attended my first technical conference (PIERS 1993 at Cal Tech). Jakob reached out to me and provided a lot of encouragement to continue studies in the field of microwave remote sensing. Throughout my career, I studied many of his papers and found them to provide great insights that made complicated subjects much more accessible and useful for "real world" applications. Later, I had the chance to work with Jakob as part of the SMAP team working on the "radar-only" soil moisture algorithm. Jakob was the leader of this group, and with his outstanding management and leadership skills created a collaborative team from groups that were originally competing with each other. His focus on accomplishing the goals of the team in the collaborative and friendly environment that he created and exemplified made a big difference in the success of the effort. His leadership, scholarship, and kindness will be greatly missed.

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Tony And Joy Milne published a tribute .

Dear Kalfie,
Joy and I send our love and sincere sympathy at this time of expected loss. Jakob was an esteemed person and a very good friend. He was always a true gentleman in his dealings with people no matter what the circumstances and a superb scientist. I have much to thank him for especially for my introduction to and understanding of radar technology and for his contribution to three NASA-Australia AIRSAR Pacific Rim Missions held during the 1994-2000 which helped introduce Polarimetric SAR to 18 Pacific and Asian countries.
Tony and Joy Milne, Sydney.

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Anita published a comment .

Liewe Kalfie, woorde voel so min en leeg in hierdie omstandighede. Ons huil ook saam met jou. Ek bid dat Jesus jou styf sal houvas en dat jy vertroos sal word deur die wonderbare trooster die Heilig Gees. Ons hier op aarde het een groot belofte en dit is dat ons mekaar weer sal sien. Baie liefde en sterkte Boxer en Anita

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Charles D. Norton published a tribute .

Dear Kalfie and family,

I don't know where to begin other than to say how deeply I have been impacted by our collective loss in Jakob's passing.... He has, and will continue to be, a great mentor and I'll miss our casual and formal conversations on too many topics to share here. He has always been incredibly generous with his time, experience, and knowledge where I know his impact has affected countless careers including mine. Only recently we were in touch with each other about his new entrepreneurial ventures that I'm sure will continue to grow and flourish in the future. My family and i will be thinking of all of you.
Charles D. Norton and Family

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Rosaly Lopes published a tribute .

Kalfie and all
My sincere condolences to you and all his close friends and family. I wish I had known him better, he was always so friendly and such a gentleman. My trip to Africa a few years ago was so much more meaningful after talking with both of you and reading the book you lent me "The Elephant Whisperer", one of the most amazing books I've read. I see Jakob now with the giraffes, elephants, and the animals he so much loved. Jakob will stay in our hearts. He was truly one of the great ones.

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Brent Sherwood published a tribute .

Kalfie and all -

I'm deeply affected by Jakob's passing, and unexpectedly also inspired. Of course I fondly remember hanging out with you both at Ath parties and IAC dinners. But at work, where we spent many hours together over the years, Jakob was a special boss (both times, in 1x and again in 4x!), more of a conspiratorial colleague than a supervisor, and always articulating the philosophical view of our hardest challenges (the organizational ones). He had an easy way of letting us all become our best selves, and of exposing the humor in passing situations. A good life, full of adventures, fun, and love, plus technical contributions to multiple fields, cultural contributions to our historic Lab, and a legacy of mentorship. Inspiring to all he touched, and deeply missed now. I'm holding him and you in the Light.

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Charlie Yamarone published a tribute .

Kalfie,
Our most sincere condolences on Jakob’s passing. We pray God helps you during this most difficult time. Jakob was respected and loved by all. He left this world greatly enriched by the life he lived.
My family particularly valued the time they spent with him and pray that he is at peace in heaven.
Our thoughts, prayers and love are with you.
Charlie Yamarone and family

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Pietie Wakters published a comment .

What a legend,Japie van Zyl

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Elsie published a comment .

Liewe Kalfie ons huil saam met jou en familie..ons het julle loopbaan stap vir stap gevolg.baie liefde van Namibia . Elsie Brand en familie

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Elsebé Fourie published a comment .

Kalfie, ons dra jou opreg in ons harte. Dis ‘n seer tyd hierdie, so onwerklik vir ons almal. Mag ons Here Jesus jou oomblik-vir-oomblik versterk en dra wanneer dit voel asof jy nie meer kan nie. Sy genade is vir jou genoeg; mag jy dit so ervaar! Weet net dat duisende maters vir jou bid en omgee. Elsebé Fourie (Hennie Steenkamp se jongste sussie.)

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Ridha Touzi published a comment .

When I think of Polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), I think about JAKOB VanZyl. Kennaugh, Huynen and Boerner have been our school in the theory of polarimetry, but Jakob was the first who has introduced the polarimetry in SAR. He was the Pioneer of SAR polarimetry who built& calibrated the first-ever “polarimetric” airborne SAR (AIRSAR) in 1986. JAKOB has been a School for me in SAR Polarimetry & Calibration. He was a Big Leader in POLSAR (Methodology& analysis, and Calibration). I have learned a lot from him on SAR polarimetry & calibration from his papers and his Books. Jacob was also a very nice person. I am really going to miss him and miss his warn smile. I am sure I am not the Only one. All the polarimetric SAR & Calibration community will do so.
My sincere sympathies go to his family.
Toutes mes condoléances. Je leur souhaite beaucoup de patience dans cette dure épreuve.

Ridha Touzi, Canada Centre for Remote Sensing.

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Sharon En Dreyer Du Plessus published a comment .

Japie ons harte is seer. Ons huil en skop. Jy sal altyd voortleef in ons harte.
Kalfie jy sal altyd n plek in ons lewe en harte hê. Ons wag vir jou. Ons drome van 4 sal ons 3 nou moet leef. Dit gaan moeilik wees maar ons sal mekaar hierdeur dra. Ons bid vir jou.

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Laurika Du Plessis Nee Potgieter published a tribute .

Dear Kalfie,

Growing up living a few farms from you in the Biermanskool area you would always be part of my childhood memories. Will never forget how your father told my father that Japie got more than 100% at university as he knew more than what was taught or in the handbooks? As a little farm girl I could have understood it wrongly, but that is what I would always remember about Japie for eternity. This highly intelligent son of Namibia with humble beginnings. May our Father carry you through this difficult time and keep you close to His heart always in the lonely days to come. Love from Biermanskool

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Werner Wiesbeck published a tribute .

In 1989 I spent a sabbatical at JPL in Pasadena. I was welcomed by a young, aspiring scientist who should take care of me during my six months stay: Dr. Jakob van Zyl. Right from the start we spent weeks and weeks of discussing remote sensing challenges and related technologies. During that time our professional relationship grew into a personal one. I learned about his heritage, his educational career and his future vision. Also, my family and me got to know his wife Kalfie, his home and his hobbies.
In the course of my stay in Pasadena we became very good friends. We spent weekends with our wives together and travelled together. After the sabbatical had come to a close, I was missing him: personally, as a friend and as the superb scientist he was. Fortunately, the IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing community kept us in touch and we met continuously. I decided to take my next sabbatical in 1994 at JPL again and its director Charles Elachi agreed.
So in 1994 I, my wife and our boys, spent another six months in California. Again, Jakob was my host at JPL and we kept in close contact. When not working, I was happy to support him a bit privately in the building his new house. By then we had learned and deeply agreed, that our vision of an inspiring and charming life had much in common.
We stayed in close contact when we had to leave again for Germany. We kept up to date about our ventures and met from time to time. Our last meeting with our wives and our children was in September of 2018. Jakob and Kalfie payed us a visit in Munich. We had great Bavarian beer during a traditional dinner. Jakob had a present for me: a bottle of fine Whisky with a personal dedication engraved in the bottle’s glass. I still have it at home and I will keep it safe. We shall never forget Jakob as a friend who has left a dent in our lives. We wish that with his vision of heaven, we will stay in touch forever.

Werner Wiesbeck
August 2020

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Travis Blake published a tribute .

I only recently met Jakob as he left JPL and started at Kairos Ventures, but, from the moment we first met, I felt as if I knew him for many, many years. We had a natural connection and Jakob had such a way to make you feel at ease and comfortable. He had so much knowledge and practical wisdom that he was eager to share it was such a pleasure to speak to him whenever I had a chance, which was not as often as I would have liked it to be. Whether is was talking about new innovations, or reliving shared stories from our intertwined careers, I was always happier after talking to Jakob.

My life is better off being able to call Jakob a friend and colleague.

Per aspera, ad astra

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Yunling Lou published a tribute .

Jakob was my supervisor back in the AIRSAR days in the early 1990s. He was a natural leader, a tireless teacher, and a great friend to all of us. He led by example, and was involved in everything we did, from hardware to processor algorithm development. He participated in foreign deployments and set up corner reflectors with us in the field. Even in the early days he was already a budding entrepreneur. We brainstormed about a business plan for the group and talked about how to develop new products and improve our data delivery throughput to make our customers (scientists and NASA managers) happy. He always reminded us that without happy customers, we wouldn't have any funding!

Besides work, Jakob also got several group members into running in the Arroyo at lunch time. It wasn’t uncommon to have 6-8 of us going for a run on any given day. Those long runs were filled with laughter and friendly competitions (well, we mostly watched him disappear in the dust). We learned to balance the stress of work with exercise. Even to this day, I still run to relax and clear my thoughts. Jakob and Kalfie were also great friends to all of us group members. We would have Friday happy hours at Crown City Brewery, barbeques, and group outings to the mountains. To many of us, those were truly the “good old days”.

On a personal note, Jakob was a great mentor to me. He encouraged me to expand my horizons and write proposals to pursue my own ideas. He gave me opportunities to lead the team and even let me teach a polarimetry course to our Asian partners during a PacRim outreach trip! He showed me how to be an entrepreneurial project manager and a compassionate leader. His career accomplishments also inspired me to try new endeavors. Jakob will be greatly missed by many of us who had the good fortune to be guided and nurtured by him early in our careers.

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Paul Rosen published a tribute .

Jakob doing what came naturally - teaching at the 2009 Radar Conference in Pasadena, CA.

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Paul Rosen published a tribute .

From younger days with Radar section leaders. Notice who is well dressed and who is not...

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Fengchuan (Feng) Liu published a tribute .

Dear Kalfie,

There are no words adequate to express the shock and sorrow I feel from losing Jakob so suddenly. Amidst this excruciating sadness, I wish to treasure the time I worked for Jakob and remember him as a generous and caring boss, a gentleman, a scholar, a teacher, and a leader.

To provide just a small snapshot of Jakob’s magnanimity, I need only think back to the first time I met you, Kalfie, at the Orlando airport in March 2009. About a dozen JPLers were waiting for the same return flight after the Kepler launch, and a few of us did not have access to the United Club. Jakob, however, soon waved all of us over to the Club. I was certain that you and Jakob generously covered the cost to invite all of us into the Club. To you and Jakob, perhaps it was a trifling gesture that barely occupied a moment’s thought. But that gesture deeply touched me with its thoughtfulness. That is the kind of unhesitating and unfailing generosity that I witnessed from Jakob so many times over the years.

Thanks to Jakob’s leadership, along with Dave Gallagher’s, 2009 was a fantastic year for the Astronomy and Physics Directory. Prior to the December 2009 launch of WISE, Jakob and Dave drove to Vandenberg Airforce Base. Bill Irace was the WISE Project Manager, and I was the deputy PM in charge of WISE launch campaign. I took the picture below of Jakob, Dave and Bill on the launch pad inspecting cryogenic service operation of the WISE observatory on SLC2 (Space Launch Complex).
Among Jakob’s many remarkable qualities was that he never missed an opportunity to push for maximum recognition of the employees working under his leadership. Thanks to the strong recommendation and support of Jakob, along with Dave and Bill, I was surprised and humbled to receive the Magellan Award in 2010. Jakob was such a remarkable leader because he not only took his own responsibilities seriously, and executed them deftly, but also continually strove to lift up those around him.
Unsurprisingly, Jakob was also a dedicated and thoughtful teacher. In 2013, Jakob was very happy to see me join Yunijn on the NISAR project. To help me learn the physics of SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar), Yunjin recommended, and Jakob welcomed, that I sit in the Caltech graduate course EE/AE 157, “Introduction to the Physics of Remote Sensing,” that Jakob lectured. Jakob graded all my homework assignments as though I were a regular student, and never missed a chance to write down encouraging words. At the conclusion of the course, Jakob congratulated me: “Feng, you are now a radar expert!”

We are in a business where management is under constant stress and exhaustion; the occasional show of impatience is simply the norm. But none of that applied to Jakob. Jakob stood out as a leader with an unique temperament who always remained calm and gracious, always treated subordinates with respect, courtesy, and encouragement. Jakob will be forever and deeply missed by all of us in the Caltech and NASA communities.

Fengchuan (Feng) Liu
Formerly of WISE, NEOWISE, and NISAR

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Paul Rosen published a tribute .

Jakob was one of those people who enter your life and make a lasting impression from the moment you meet him, and after that, it is as though you’ve always known him and he’ll always be there. It is as though his well-revered kindness, generosity, and intellect were so infectious that they entered your consciousness and were lodged there permanently.

Jakob was one of a handful of people at JPL who not just guided but defined my career at JPL. He gave me my first management position as group supervisor in the radar section a quarter century ago. For the three or four years he was section manager, Jakob made everything look easy. I’m sure he labored under the same funding, workforce, personnel, planning, and performance issues that face all section managers, but you wouldn’t have known it.

One of his initiatives as a new section manager was to change the culture of the section to be more business-like. At the time in the late 90s, the Karrass business books were quite popular, and Jakob saw the course on negotiation as a vehicle for affecting change. He arranged for section staff – a rag-tag group of skeptical scientists and engineers – to have on-site training in negotiation. For Jakob, I suspect it was just a way to structure training in what he already knew to be true and was practicing, so that he could direct the skepticism away from him to the instructor (he was clever that way too!). But for me, it was really life-changing – not because I became a master negotiator or businessman, but because I could very simply understand that the work we do is largely about people and how they interact. After a lifetime of technical problem solving, it was time to realize the other half of the equation in developing large projects is actually people, and we need to know how to interact - even as engineers.

After Jakob left the section to rocket his way up the management ladder, we interacted less frequently, mostly at JPL social events, or an occasional celebration. One of my fondest memories was at the wedding of our assistant Bobbie Grable, later Gregorovich. The reception was on a typical SoCal evening, with a beautiful sunset and cool weather. Jakob and Kalfie spent the evening with my wife Lois and me talking about this, that, and the other thing – kids, flower arrangements, dogs, the home country – and just enjoying the joy of the evening and community of others at an event where you don’t know most of the people. As with all interactions with Jakob and Kalfie, this left a lasting impression: a constant in our lives knowing that there are people in the world infused with joy, and willing and eager to share it, reinforced each and every time we met.

Paul Rosen
August 30, 2020

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Johan Burger published a tribute .

Kalfie,
Our thoughts are with you. Although I never met you or Japie, I have been following his unbelievable achievements with admiration and pride as if an long time friend. His humility and ability to communicate complex concepts simply with that beautiful Namibian/American accent and sense of humor was beautifully seductive. He made us so proud in the Southern tip of Africa and will leave an empty space in our hearts. The engineers engineer. Kalfie baie sterkte met die voortydige verlies van jou maat.

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Yoshio Yamaguchi published a tribute .

I would like to express my sincere condolence to his family. He was a great pioneer and brilliant at JPL dealing with Polarimetric Radar and his polarization signatures. Many people learned from him. I admire him and learned his works in several papers and books. Radar polarimetry community appreciate him and feel great loss now. Thanks for coming to Niigata Workshop 2012 as attached photo.

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Matt Kozlov published a tribute .

The world lost a great mind, a groundbreaking scientist, a compassionate friend, and an inspiring entrepreneur. It's been an honor working with you, Jakob. We will work tirelessly to make Hydrosat the world-changing company you set out to build. We will follow in your legacy and dare mighty things.

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Yvette Bezuidenhout published a tribute .

Dankie vir jou inspirasie as persoon. Met wat jy alles bereik het. Ek luister Sterre en planete.Jy het my laat glo mens se drome en ideale waar kan word. As mens deur harde werk reik vir die sterre kan jy die maan kry. Sterre en planete sal vir my nie dieselfde wees nou dat jou stem stil is. Woorde ontbreek my maar sy gesin familie julle is in my gedagtes en gebede.

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Tom George published a tribute .

Dear Jakob,
You influenced so many lives during your very rich and unfortunately short lifetime! I was one among the many who had the great honor and pleasure of knowing you both at JPL and afterwards at Hydrosat. Rest in Peace!

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Bokkas Mazenge published a tribute .

As the Public Relations Officer of Outjo Municipality I had the opportunity to chat with Dr Japie van Zyl during the 120 celebrations of Outjo town in 2018. Outjo Municipality honored him with a street and he delivered a speech during the unveiling of it. It was so memorable momemt. To the Wife, Children and Family I would like to send my deepest sympathies and condolences during this difficult time. Mag die Hemelse Vader julle seën in hierdie tyd. I want the family to greave as much as they can, he was an icon, a master, he kept the Namibian flag very high. I bid farewell to Dr Japie van Zyl. Let's celebrate Japie for what he has achieved during his time with us. Rest In Peace Dr Japie

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Bacless Ben Narib published a comment .

May his soul rest in God's soft hands . Thanks to him for making history for Outjo hero's. Yes he is our Hero we will forever celebrate him in outjo and also in Namibia. For he is a hero. Go well our hero

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Shiv Mohan published a comment .

All global leaders would agree to a common point about him is " a leader in SAR polarimetry". I met him during International SAR polarimetry workshop at Niigata Un iversity during 2019 and had lot of appreciation for himhe was not only a gentleman, ground to earth personality and a true global leader. He was happy to see some of his algorithm applied over large area during whole crop season, which I was presenting during the workshop. We were shocked to know about his sudden life taking heart attack at this age. Our deepest sympathy and condolences to family. may god give strength to family,friends and followers to bear the loss.

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Charlotte Groenewald published a comment .

Japie, Thankyou for being our Radio friend, for educating and sharing about space explorations. RIP. Love and thoughts of strength to Kalfie, relatives, friends, colleagues. Charlotte, Soppies and Christoff Groenewald Cape Town South Africa.

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Doll Van Schalkwyk published a comment .

Sterkte Kalfie, mag jy deur God vertroos en versterk word...

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Wooil M. Moon published a comment .

Dear Jakob, Rest in peace. My students and I learned so much from you and thank for all the things we learned from you on polarimetric SAR, on AIRSAR, and also on being a nice person. Thank you again _ and will not forget.

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Kaniskhka published a tribute .

We are truly sorry and deeply saddened by the loss of Jakob. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family and to all who are closely associated with Jakob. We are honored to have known him for a short spell. He was truly a gentleman with utmost humility. We will never forget him. May he rest in peace.

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Tony And Joy Milne published a tribute .

The photo of Jakob was taken without him knowing on an isolated beach near to the Learmonth Australian Air Force Base at Exmouth 1300 km north from Perth on the Western Australian coastline.

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Lynne Moss published a tribute .

Kalfie, we are heartbroken for you, and for the rest of us, as we mourn the sad passing of our special friend Japie. For us, Japie not only provided a unique and exciting connection to extraordinary scientific developments, but with you also a precious link over the years, between Caltech, California and Cape Town. Met liefde, Lynne, Tara and Miranda Moss

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Handelene Deysel published a tribute .

Kalfie van Zyl, groete uit Swakopmund en alle sterkte

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Mariana published a comment .

Mariaan published a comment About an hour ago.

Liefste Kalfie ...ek het nie woorde nie. Ek huil saam met jou. Sterkte vir alles wat voorlê. Koester al julle mooi memories. Ek onthou nog hoe het jy en Elmien by my op my koshuisbed in Huis Nordia gekuier en hoe verlief was jy op Japie.
Op daardie stadium mag julle mos nie uitgegaan het nie a.g.v. n skoolbeleid. Ons 1974 matrieks huil saam met jou en eer sy nagedagtenis. Liefde uit George. Mariana (Louw) Labuschagne

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