Dr. Julian Charles “J” Holtzman

Dr. Julian Charles “J” Holtzman, professor emeritus of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Kansas, passed away Monday, April 23, 2012, after an extended hospital stay in Austin, TX. He was born August 14, 1935, on Staten Island, NY.
He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Aline Holtzman, of the home; step-son and daughter-in-law, Tom Bryce and Linda Samson-Talleur, of Lawrence, KS; step-son, Steve Holtzman of Joshua Tree, CA; and grandson, Sumner Holtzman of Edmond, OK. He is also survived by a sister and brother-in-law, Suressa Holtzman Forbes and Richard Forbes of Rochester, NY; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Hannah Elizabeth (Betty) Wasch; his father, Harris Holtzman; and his mother, Frances Weis Holtzman.
J attended Cornell University, and then Brooklyn Poly Tech, where he graduated with his bachelor’s in electrical engineering in 1958. He completed his masters in engineering at UCLA in 1962. He worked for Hughes Aircraft and Lockheed, before returning to the East Coast to Cornell University, where he earned his Ph.D. in electrical engineering in 1967. Returning to California, he taught at San Jose State for a short time. After spending a year in Peru with his first wife Betty (now deceased), J began his long teaching career at the University of Kansas in 1969. During his tenure, he was faculty advisor/mentor to many students whom he regarded as close friends until the very end. As chairman of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, he worked tirelessly to improve programs for undergraduate and graduate students alike, seeking funding to ensure scholarships and employment for students. His last few professional years were spent at KU’s Edwards Campus in Overland Park, KS, teaching Systems Engineering Management. He always said that he learned more from the practicing engineering students than he taught them!
Among the most beloved things in J’s life were his dogs. He had a lifelong love affair with German Shepherds. He leaves behind Remi, who gave him the will to get up when he was down, and to play when he had nothing left. His only grandchild, Sumner, is a chip off the old block. Through J’s experience of Sumner’s birth and life, a once grouchy curmudgeon was transformed irrevocably into a grandfatherly mush pie! “Grumps” took great delight in bragging about Sumner, harassing him, and loving him beyond imagination.
In 2005, J and wife Aline left Kansas for the Hill Country of Texas. He loved Austin and his quiet home on Lake Travis, where the deer meandered daily in the yard. J adopted the popular mantra “I wasn’t born in Texas, but I got here as soon as I could!”
A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, May 19th, at the Adams Alumni Center,
1266 Oread Ave, Lawrence, KS, 66045-3169, 785-864-4760, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to one of the following: Hospice Austin, 4107 Spicewood Springs Road Suite 100, Austin, TX, 78759 or Austin German Shepherd Dog Rescue (AGSDR) and mail to:
c/o Anne Burkett P.O. Box 339 Manor, Texas 78653

• E-mail this obituary