Obituary of Eliezer Kamon

Eliezer "Elie" Kamon, 85, passed away on April 4, 2016 at Juniper Village at Brookline, State College. Eliezer was born on October 4, 1930, in Jerusalem in what was then British Palestine to the late Betzalel and Leah Kaminsky. In 1948, Elie was a soldier in the Israeli war of independence. After the war his passion for sport earned him top all-around medal as a gymnast in the Israeli national competition. In 1964, he earned his Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from Hebrew University, Israel. It was during his graduate work that his first wife, Dafna, gave birth to their daughter, Ravid. After developing an allergy to the insects he had studied, his interest in gymnastics led him to study the patterns of electrical activity of muscle during the acquisition of skill (as his own subject) at the Loughborough University of Technology, England. This interest in human physiology led him to his professorship in occupational health at University of Pittsburgh. It was during this period that his second wife, Gail, gave birth to their son, Mattan in 1969 and daughter Beth in 1974. In 1974 he accepted the position of Professor of Applied Physiology and Ergonomics at Penn State's Noll Laboratory where he developed indices to measure and methods to control physical stress on the human body. These methods helped develop, for example, emergency breathing equipment for coal miners and cooling garments for workers in conditions of extreme heat, such as within nuclear power plants. In 1983, Elie suffered a hemorrhagic stroke and retired soon after. Despite his compromised health, Elie continued to enjoy his many passions, including painting, nature, walking, and travel, and found a new passion in American sports spectating. His love of life and determined spirit will continue to be an inspiration to all who have known him. He is survived by his wife, three children, seven grandchildren and four siblings. Funeral service will be held at 1:30pm on Wednesday, April 6, at Congregation Brit Shalom, 620 E. Hamilton Ave, State College with Rabbi Ostrich officiating. Burial will be Centre County Memorial Park following the service. In lieu of flowers contributions in his memory may be made to Congregation Brit Shalom or the Employees Fund of Juniper Village at Brookline SNF, 1950 Cliffside Drive, State College, Pa.16801