Obituary: Anthony Baltz, BNL senior scientist emeritus
Anthony “Tony” John Baltz passed away on Dec. 21, in Port Jefferson. He was born on March 10, 1942, in Indianapolis, Indiana, to Henry John Baltz Jr. and Theresa Catherine Baltz. In 1960, Tony joined the Jesuit Novitiate at Colombiere College in Clarkston, Michigan, then completed a bachelor’s degree in physics at Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama, in 1966. He obtained his doctorate in physics at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, where he met his wife-to-be, Marie Lepri.
Tony’s career spanned over 40 years at Brookhaven National Laboratory, where he ultimately was promoted to senior physicist in the Nuclear Theory Group and deputy theory group leader of the RIKEN BNL Research Center. He performed original research on solar neutrinos and on ultra-peripheral heavy-ion interactions and was awarded a patent for an improved magnet design applicable to particle accelerators. He was twice put in charge of the Nuclear Theory program at the Department of Energy Division of Nuclear Physics. He was elected fellow of both the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Physical Society. Upon his retirement from BNL in 2012, he was named senior scientist emeritus.
Tony was a lifelong golf enthusiast, classical music connoisseur and world traveler. His striving for excellence, passion for unlocking the secrets of the universe and devotion to his wife and family serve as a testament to a life well lived. Tony was preceded in death by his parents and his niece Kristine. He is survived by his loving wife Marie; son Edward (Tracy) and son William (Shelley); grandchildren Juliana, El and Xavier; brothers Richard, David, Bernard, Christopher, Timothy and Thomas; sister Elizabeth; and six nephews, four nieces and numerous cousins.
Visitation will be at the Bryant Funeral Home, 411 Old Town Road, East Setauket, on Sunday, Feb. 18, from 4-6 p.m. A memorial service (livestreamed at uufsb.org) will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 380 Nicolls Road, East Setauket, on Monday, Feb. 19, from 3-5 p.m.
