Alexander Rokhlenko, PhD, age 85, passed away on Monday, April 26, 2021. He is survived by his wife, Tatyana Kukavskaya of Princeton, NJ; his son, Vadim and his daughter-in-law Irina Pronina of Allendale, NJ; his granddaughter Katerina of San Diego, CA; and many other relatives in Kiev, Ukraine.
Alexander was born on June 13, 1935 in Kiev, USSR. He became an orphan at a very young age after losing his mother to a terminal disease and his father in the war. Brought up by his beloved aunt Rebecca in significant hardships, he became an outstanding high school and university student as well as an athlete.
After graduating with honors from the Kiev State University with a degree in physics he was unable for a few years to secure a job in line with his education due to the state-sponsored antisemitism until finally he became a scientist and worked as a physicist achieving significant international success and publishing many outstanding articles.
At first opportunity, he and his son Vadim emigrated to the USA in 1989 where Alexander, after a few years of teaching graduate and undergraduate students, acquired a position as a visiting professor at Rutgers University that he held until his retirement. That fruitful span produced many more outstanding scientific articles, some with collaboration with Dr. Joel Leibowitz of the Rutgers University Department of Mathematics.
Alexander continued to do scientific work until he was stricken by dementia and after that he was self-sacrificially cared for by his beloved wife Tatyana until the very end. He was an avid book collector and reader, spear-fisher, recreational swimmer and electronics and mechanics enthusiast, designing his own shortwave radios and spear guns. He also hand-made a TV set when he was just 24 years old.
He was an extremely generous person, donating his time and skills to tutor various people in physics and mathematics and to repair home electric and electronic appliances for his friends. He continuously displayed his brilliance in many activities and fields of knowledge throughout his life.
Alexander passed on surrounded by his loved ones who will forever cherish warm memories of his presence in their lives.