Lorand H. Meray, 93, died peacefully at home in Princeton on May 24, 2013, in the loving presence of his family.

Lorand was born on July 4, 1919 in Budapest, Hungary. His family designed, built and raced motorcycles, operating a factory and showroom in Budapest. Lorand received a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1941 and an M.S. degree in Mechanical Sciences in 1944, both from the Jozsef Nador Technical University in Budapest. He completed further postgraduate studies at the Eidgenossische Technische Hochschule in Zurich, Switzerland, and at the University of Toronto in Canada.

He retired from Princeton University Plasma Physics Laboratory in 1985. Previously, he worked as a Mechanical Engineer in research and development at RCA Laboratories in Princeton and as Chief Mechanical Engineer for Curtiss-Wright Corporation. He holds several patents in the automotive and camera fields; was the recipient of an Outstanding Paper Award at the International Solid State Circuits Conference; and was a member of several professional societies, including the American Vacuum Society, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the Camp Warden (University of Toronto Group).

Lorand was an avid skier, sailor and athlete his entire life, and loved the outdoors. In his youth, he was a member of the Hungarian National Ski Team and a top finisher in international ski competitions. He served as vice president and race chairman of the Princeton Ski Club in the 1960s, and continued skiing competitively well into his seventies. He also enjoyed teaching skiing and sailing, and passed on his love of sport to his children and grandchildren. One of his favorite pastimes was sailing on Barnegat Bay with family and friends. He was an early and longtime advocate of protecting the environment. He also enjoyed drawing, clay sculpting, and traveling. Lorand was fluent in Hungarian, English, German, and French.

Lorand is survived by his wife Grazyna Meray of Princeton; his daughters and stepdaughters, Livia Tiszai of Hungary; Muriel Meray of Dublin, Ohio; Danae Engelbrecht of Washington, D.C., Lorraine Meray Thomas of Beaverton, Ore.; Jasmine Spence of Newtown, Pa.; Agnieszka Fryszman of Washington, D.C.; Olga Fryszman of San Diego, Ca.; Robin Meray Patel of Tampa, Fl., and many grandchildren and great grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother Antal Meray-Horvath and his children in Hungary; his sister Beatrix Meray-Horvath Pinter and her children in Austria; and his cousins Leonora Medgyesy, Andrew Meray-Horvath, and Gusztav Meray-Horvath. He was predeceased by his brother Robert and his parents Julia and Lorand Meray-Horvath.


Services will be held at the Princeton University Chapel on Wednesday June 12, at 10 AM, followed by burial at the Princeton Cemetery. Visitation will be on Tuesday, June 11 from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at the Kimble Funeral Home, 1 Hamilton Avenue, Princeton.

Memorial contributions in Lorand's name may be made to the American Hungarian Foundation of New Jersey http://www.ahfoundation.org) or the Sierra Club of New Jersey.