"Professor Bilger is the most memorable professor I had at OSU. He always showed his appreciation for my work in his labs. He shared with me real life applications beyond the textbooks. During my last semester in 1993, he asked me to stay on and continue research with him. This is the best positive feedback I received in college. I was unable to stay as I was moving on to graduate school at Purdue. I wonder what I would have learned from him if I had stayed? I will always remember him."
In loving memory of
Hans R. Bilger
May 17, 1935 - May 15, 2013
Hans Rudolf Bilger
1935 - 2013
Madison/ Stillwater, Oklahoma - Hans R. Bilger, age 78, passed away on Wednesday, May 15, 2013, at the UW Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin. He is survived by his wife of almost 55 years, Edeltraut, their five children and their spouses, and eleven grandchildren: Martin and Traci, daughter Chloe; Eva and Mike, children Emma, Madeleine, and Ian; Monika and Chuck, children Sofia, Cecily, and Kai; Burkhard and Jennifer, children Hans, Ruby, and Evangeline; Andrea and Jim, daughter Magdalena. He was preceded in death by his parents, Martin and Elisabeth, and by his younger brother Gerhard.
Hans was born in Singen, in southern Germany, in 1935. He grew up in the village of Efringen-Kirchen and attended the Hans Thoma-Gymnasium in Lörrach. He married Edeltraut Gönner, his classmate of nine years, in 1958. Three years later, he received a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Basel, Switzerland.
In 1962, Hans moved with his young family to the USA, accepting a position as Research Associate at the University of Illinois at Urbana. In the fall of 1963, he joined Oklahoma State University's Department of Electrical Engineering as Assistant Professor, beginning a 34-year career at OSU. He loved teaching, and took pride in his students' achievements.
Thanks to the support of Bill Hughes, his department head, Hans was able to alternate teaching in Oklahoma with research in different parts of the world: Argonne National Laboratory, Caltech, Raytheon, the Nuclear Research Center in Karlsruhe, Germany, the University of Montpellier in France, and the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. His family enjoyed these opportunities to live and travel in the US and abroad.
Hans's scientific interests focused on Noise and Optics, and in the 1980's he was inspired to build large ring lasers that could detect subtle movement with high precision, and might be used to detect gravitational waves. An exciting collaboration with researchers in New Zealand began in 1986, and resulted in the construction of a highly sensitive prototype in Christchurch. Hans went on to design a 16 m ring laser that was built in Wettzell, Germany, and was used to measure the earth's rotation rate - without reference to celestial bodies - to six digits. In 2012, at the age of 77, he contributed a detailed description of his ring laser work and its theoretical underpinnings to Wikipedia.
Hans always took great joy in our large family. He loved taking us sailing on Lake Blackwell and Lake McMurtry, playing table tennis, and watching soccer matches. He was always ready for a game of Skat. We fondly remember summer evenings when we sang around the campfire on our Nottingham lot in Stillwater, and Christmas evenings at home, as Papa accompanied us with his harmonica.
Our family would like to thank the physicians and nurses at St. Mary's Renal Center and at UW Health for their dedication and kindness to Hans in the last months of his life.
A special thank you to Sr. Pamela, who shared memories of OSU and Argonne with Hans and who has been a warm support and comfort to us.
A Memorial Service will be planned for later this summer.
For more information, please visit www.cressfuneralservice.com
Tributes
"It's late June 1969, my wife Inge and I live with our young family in La Canada, CA (served by the Pasadena telephone exchange). The phone rings and someone talks to me about physics. I don't understand a word and I say so. The caller is confused: "Are you not from Germany?" I say "yes!" - "Are you not Hans Bilger?" -"yes, I am Hans Bilger, but sorry, I cannot help you with your question!" Few days later, the phone rings again, my wife Inge answers. The lady calling asks: "Is your husband's name Hans Bilger?" Inge says "yes". The caller answers "My husband's name is Hans Bilger too!" The Oklahoma Bilgers had just moved to Pasadena for Hans to serve a sabbatical at Caltech. Needless to say, within a few days, the entire Hans & Edda clan, including Oma Emmi, were frolicking in our swimming pool in La Canada. It turns out that Edda's Hans (Hans Rudolf Bilger, physicist) was born in the Krankenhaus Singen, Germany in 1935. Myself, Inge's Hans (Hans Harald Rudolf Bilger) was born in the Krankenhaus Singen, Germany in 1939. Over time, we figured out that we are cousins of the 10th degree, and it even appears that we share obvious common genes. Everyone who saw us together would confirm that we must obviously be from the same family, we have just too much in common. Mein lieber Cousin Hans, fahr wohl! Ich werde Dich und die Deinen nie vergessen! Ich werde Dich vermissen! Dein Cousin Hans "
"Monika, Martin, Eva, Burkhard and Andrea, I am so sorry to hear of your dad's passing. Please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers at this difficult time for you and all your families. I have so many memories of hanging out at your house growing up. I remember how when I first met your dad, I thought he was angry because he was so loud and speaking in German, I of course had no idea that he was just teasing me until he told me in English! I'll also never forget the summer that I was able to join your family in France before you moved back to the U.S. I remember all of the time you all spent as a family enjoying the sites, and getting together with friends. He loved his family very much and it showed. I am glad that I got to know him just a little bit through you. May peace be with you!"
"Monika, Eva, Burkhard and families, I saw the notice of your fathers passing yesterday in the News Press, The McKissick family of Toronto sends our thoughts and prayers to all of you at this time."
"Monika and family, I'm so sorry for your loss. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family."
"Burkhard and Jennifer, I am so sorry for your loss. You and your family will be in my prayers. Prayers for peace in your loss."