Ernest "Jerry" Gerald Bylander

Curiosity is a word you might find in a Sunday crossword puzzle in the New York Times. It also describes Jerry Bylander, who did those puzzles in ink. His fierce intelligence and love of learning were obvious to all who knew him, and these traits served him well in his scientific career. Jerry worked in Research and Development at Texas Instruments beginning in 1964 and on through the “Silicon Prairie” era. He was a key player in development of computer technology: photon and LCD display and circuit and chip miniaturization. At Texas Instruments, Jerry did extensive work on semiconductors and wrote the book, Materials for Semiconductor Foundations. Jerry ended up with 9 patents and his work at T.I. included breakthroughs in thermonuclear photography. After his T.I. days, he continued R&D on displays and began an enduring fascination with the brain. One of his developments was a brain probe, which could stop the shakes of a Parkinson’s patient and let amputees control prostheses using mind instead of muscle. One of his display inventions led to mention on the Google Glasses patent. Jerry served in the Air Force as a radio technician during the Korean War, which is how he came to pursue his hobby as a HAM radio operator. Early work in Research and Development at the Navy Ordinance Laboratory (NOL) in Maryland challenged him, but he always regretted perfecting a computer chip also used in guidance missiles during the Korean and Vietnam wars the cause of too many deaths he said. Born May 22, 1931, in Farmington, Arkansas, Jerry played high school football in Rison and Wynn, Arkansas. He shed his jock persona as he pursued degrees in math and electrical engineering at Georgia Tech, the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville (Undergrad and Masters) and the University of Maryland (Masters). A PhD from Southern Methodist University in Dallas (Electrical Engineering and Applied Science) followed much later, in 1989. His dissertation Characteristics of Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon Film dealt with conversion of silicon film into electricity. Much to the chagrin of his wife Jane, Jerry loved taking things apart and reassembling them. Computers and cars, radios and binoculars-nothing was immune to his investigations. A lover of travel, Jerry wanted to know everything about the world; History, architecture, music, botany, food-it all interested him. As he traveled, he made new friends since, to him, no encounter was complete without a connection made. Survivors include wife Jane, Jerry’s children by first wife Mary Lamar- Steven, Joe and wife Birgit, Beth Daly and husband Dan. Six grandchildren: Thomas and Alex Jouganatos, David and Stephanie Bylander, husband Matt Levassieur, and Megan and Tomas Daly, wife Cassie. Bartlesville area survivors include brother-in-law Bill Estes and his three children: Martha Ward and husband Walter Ward, Peter Estes and wife Cindy Estes, Sydney Harham and husband Bill Hardham. Grand nieces and nephews who survive him are Sara Estes, Forrets Estes, Genevieve Estes, Elizabeth Sironi and husband Gaincarlo Sironi, Kristyn Powell and husband Sean Powell, Kelsey Besett and husband Cody Besett, Jared Ward, Nathan Hardham and Grace Hardham. North Little Rock nieces include: Lisa Bylander, Amy and husband Shawn, and nephew Mark also survive him. Parents Robert Joseph Bylander and Mary Esther Rouse. Brothers Bobby and John, John’s wife Frankie, sister-in-law Sara Hamlin, sister-in-law Joanne Estes and daughter Kathi Jouganatos predeceased him. In lieu of flowers, donations should be made to the Journey Home in Bartlesville, OK, and Bartlesville First Church.

Ernest "Jerry" Gerald Bylander

May 22, 1931 - August 16, 2018