“passing of an era. jim made so many signal, the original...

“Passingofanera.JimmadesomanycontributionstoGPS–thesignal,theoriginalmonitorstationsandthebooksthatpropagatedhisgreatknowledgetothenextgenerations.Hewasalwaysaverypositiveandcreativecontributortotheworldofposition,navigationandtiming.Wewillmisshim,butholdhimasawonderfulexampleofengineeringandofStanfordgraduates.”

BradParkinson

“…Duringhishighschoolyears,theteachersdidn’trecognizewhatagiftedstudenthewas.But,oncehewasatCollegeofMarin,itdidn’ttakelongforhisinstructorstorealizehowsmarthewas.Twofacultymembers,PhysicsProfessorDr.C.A.PulskampandEngineeringProfessorCarltonCherry,recognizedhispotential.Theyprovidedcurriculumtomatchandchallengehisintelligence,butmoreimportantlytheymentoredandencouragedhimtoapplytoStanfordUniversity.”“TheysaidIwasthemostgiftedstudenttheyhadeverseen,andthattheyweregoingtofindawaytogetmeascholarshiptoStanford,andthat’sexactlywhattheydid.”

InterviewwithCollegeofMarin August4,2019

“…Scoringatthe99.99%levelinhismathematicsentranceexam,Spilkerwasawardedascholarshipandproceededtoearnhisundergraduatedegree,Master’s,andPhDinelectricalengineeringinjustfiveyearsbytheageof23.”

WebsiteofQE2Prize

“…JimSpilker,withoutwhomsatellitenavigationasweknowitmayneverhavehappened.Jimwasagreatman,aremarkableengineer,ahugephilanthropist,andagreatfriendtogenerationsintheposition,navigation,andtimingcommunity.”

MitchNarins

“Jimcanbelistedamongahalfdozenengineersasoneofthegreatpioneerswhodefineddigitalcommunicationsandnavigationinthetwentiethcentury.…For25yearsIworkedforandwithJim.Wetalkedeverydayandneverinallthoseyearsdidwehaveanykindofanargument.Wedidhavesometechnicaldisagreementswhichwediscussedanddebated,buttheyneverturnedintoanargument.”

CeliaandLenny

“ImetJimwhenIwasGPSChiefEngineerin2006.Irecallhiskindnessandbrilliance.IwasinaweofhisdesignoftheGPSCourseAcquisition(C/A)signalusedbybillionsofpeopleworldwide.Tosayhewasaremarkablemanisanunderstatement.HisunsurpassedcontributionstoGPSandPNTwillpersist.Hewasagreatmanandissorelymissed.”

MarkCrews

“Navigationlostaleader.Wewillalwaysrememberhiscontributiontonavigation.”

XiaochunLu

“Myjobwaskeepingtheprogram‘alive’inthefaceoffierceoppositionandbudgetarypressures.JimandBradplayedakeyroleinadvancingthetechnologyandapplications.Allofusarerewardedbyseeingtheworldwideacceptanceofthesystemtoday”

BillPerry–March20,1996

“AllofusareproudoftheawesomecontributionsyouhavemadeovertheyearstotheGPSSystem,whichhashadasignificantimpactonnotonlyourexceptionalmilitarycapabilities,butourexceptionalcivilandcommercialapplications.GPShashadunbelievablemultiplyingeffectonoureconomicwellbeing.Wewhohavebeenfortunateenoughtoworktogetherwithyoustandtallerjustbeingatyourmentoringside.”

RobertRosenberg–June14,2010

“Asanentrepreneur,Iwearrosecoloredglasses.AnnaMariesometimes,wherenecessary,changesthattintmoreinkeepingwithreality.”

JimSpilker

“EversinceIknewyouandJim,youhavebeenthisamazingcompaniontohim.Heissofortunatetohaveyouinhislife.”

JadeMorton

“FewpeoplewillhavethepositiveimpactontheworldthatJimSpilkerdidinhislifewell-lived.”LeoHollberg

“IhaveknownJimfortwodecades.Hewassuchagraciousandagenerousperson.Jimhadsomanyqualities-brillianceasanengineer,perseveranceasanentrepreneur,dedicationasaresearcher,andwarmthandopenheartednessasacolleague.Helovedlifeandliveditthefullest.Inallthis,hehadawonderfulpartnerinyou.YourloveanddedicationforJimisaninspirationtousall.”

ArogyaswamiJPaulraj

“…Thetwoofyoumadeagreatandremarkablecouple.”

JohnHennessy

“What can one do when standing in the wake of an exceptional life but to see it as an example to ourselves.”

Paul Montgomery

“StanfordTelecomwasacorralforthetrulyintelligent.UnderJim'sleadership,StanfordTelecommunications(1973-99)wasanoutstandingexampleofhowtodoeffectiveandexceptionalteambuildingandattractingandretainingthebestandthebrightest.”

TomSylvester

“…asanewlymintedengineerandIwasblessedtoworkwith,andlearnfrom,manyoutstandingpeopleinthoseearlydays.AttheverytopofmylistofearlymentorswasJimSpilker.WorkingwithJimwaseffectivelylikeearninganadvanced

degreeincommunications sciencewhileonthejob.”

SteveLagna

“HewasthebestbossIeverhadandI’llbeforevergratefulforallhedidforme.”

LeeGamma

“Jimprovidedabeaconofwizardlikeintelligenceandcourageousleadershipfortherestofustofollow.HewasastalwartmentorformeinmytoughtransitionfromProfessortoVicePresidentatSTel.”

JohnE.Ohlson

OtherPassions

…andCompetitions

“ThebookthatJimco-authoredwithBradParkinsonhasbeenafoundationaltextbookforme,asIhaveworkedontheGPSsystemforalmost20years.JimhasbeenaveryinspirationalfigureinGPS,Stanford,andSiliconValley,andyourgenerosityareatreasureforStanfordanditscommunity.“

RanwaHaddad

“Jimwasanextraordinary.Hisideasarestillaliveineveryone'spocket.I'mgladIhadthechancetomeethim.”

AlbertoStochino

SCPNTCo-FoundersPerEnge&JimSpilker

SanGregorioUnder

Construction

Jim’sToys

SanGregorioCompleted

“ItishardforustoacceptthatJimisgone.HispositivespiritandcreativitywereessentialtothecreationofGPSaswellasmanyoftheprofoundapplicationsthatGPSenabled.Hesetanextremelyhighstandardwitheverythinghetouched.IparticularlyrecallhisdynamicforceinthecreationofthetwovolumeAIAAbooks.Morethananyofus,hewastheforcetodrivethatproject.Furtherhefosteredthecareersofmanyoftheyoungeracademics.ThenthetwoofyoumadeanenormouscontributiontoStanfordandtheeducationofnewgenerationsofengineers.HewillbemissedandrememberedbyeveryonewhowasinvolvedintheinitialcreationofGPS.”

BradandGinnyParkinson

“AsaformerstudentandPhDgraduateoftheStanfordGPSlab,I'mdeeplygratefultohavehadthechancetobenefitfromJim'sinsightfulcommentsandcritiqueduringtheregularlabmeetings.HewasatruetitanoftheGPSandStanfordcommunities,butasastudent,Ialwaysfelthewasveryapproachable.”

GabrielWong

“…hewasalsosomeonewhocaredverydeeplyaboutthenextgeneration,abouteducationandaboutfindingwaysforuniversitiestomoreeffectivelytacklethebigproblemswefacetoday.Hewasachampionofinterdisciplinaryresearchteams.HewasaveryvaluableadvisortomewhenIwasdeanandalwayshadthoughtfulandoftenunexpectedideasonhowtotacklebothopportunitiesandproblems."

JimPlummer

“IamdeeplyhonoredtohaveknownJimsince2014,whenIhadthepleasuretohavelunchanddiscussproblemswithhim.Iwasalsoinvitedtohishouse,whenItookthisfunpicturewhenJimwasshowingoffhissprintingskillonthebeach.Jimwasafun,kind,andgenerouspersoninmymemory.“

Yu“Joy”Jiao

Radar

Merry

Siam

“…ProfessorJimSpilker'spassingisnotonlyaprofoundlossfortheStanfordPNTCenter,butalsoaprofoundlossforourcooperation.Iamtrulygratefultohisgreatsupporttomeandmyteaminthepast10years,andwillalwayscherishthoseunforgettablememoriesofhim.”

MingquanLu

“WewillalwaysvaluehisdeepaffectionforhisalmamaterandareveryproudthatyournamesgracetheJamesandAnnaMarieSpilkerEngineeringandAppliedSciencesBuildingoncampus.”

Marc

Tessier-Lavigne

“HewasatechnicalgiantwhowasincrediblygeneroustoStanford.Jimwasawonderfulpersonwhoseenthusiasmwasinfectious.”

PersisDrell

“…Jimwasapioneerinsignaltimingtechnologyforwhichhehasreceivednumerousprestigiousawards.Tome,Jimwasapersonalfriend,afamilyfriend,andanunequaledsupporterofourdepartment.”

CharbelFarhat

“Itissadtoloseourelderfriendswhoguidedusoutofthegoodnessoftheirheart.Thereinliesthemarkofgreatpeople.Theydoforotherswithoutanexpectationofareturn.Theydoitbecauseitisattheheartoftheirnature."

LoganScott

“Asanengineerhisworkhastouchedthelivesofbillionsofpeoplearoundtheglobe,andwillcontinuetodosoforyearstocome.Hisjourneytotheverysummitofourprofessionservesasaninspiration,notonlyforthosealreadyembarkingontheirengineeringlife,buttoyoungpeoplethroughouttheworldlookingforacareerwhichcanchangelives.Hisphilanthropyensuresthatgenerationsofstudentswillhaverealopportunitytofollowinhisfootsteps.”

TheLordBrowneofMadingley