Juri Eenmaa
Juri Eenmaa, 71, of Burnet died Sept. 27, 2012, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. He was born Dec. 30, 1940, in Rakvere, Estonia, to Karl Eenmaa and Ella Rubli Eenmaa. He immigrated to the United States in 1950 with his family — Karl, Ella, and sister Reet — and settled in the Los Angeles area.
He received his high school education at Manuel Arts in Los Angeles. He then attended the University of Southern California, receiving his bachelor of science in physics in 1963 and his master’s in physics in 1966.
Afterwards, he attended the University of Washington in Seattle where he earned a doctorate in research physics in 1972.
He then joined the University of Washington, where he collaborated with other physicists, engineers and technical specialists. He headed the team to install the cyclotron for neutron production, and its use for medical radiation treatments for cancer patients, benign conditions and for research.
He left this position of associate professor in which he taught physics to radiation oncology residents and medical dosimetrists, and joined the Swedish Cancer institute in Seattle in1989. There, he was involved with the daily tasks of medical physics and the prostate seed implant program. He retired from Swedish in 2000.
He greatly enjoyed his work in physics, but was also an excellent artisan, craftsman and builder. He played the violin and fiddle most of his life, and was very active in the Estonian communities in Los Angeles and Seattle, where Estonian culture was celebrated with much music, song and folk dancing. He will be greatly missed by the Estonian community.
Family and friends will miss his loving, calm, steady and trustworthy presence.
Survivors include his wife of 24 years, Harriet Hale Eenmaa of Burnet. They were living on Lake Buchanan and had worked together for many years in radiation oncology in Seattle.
Other survivors include stepdaughters Kendra Dupuy and her husband Stephan Hamberg and Anna Dupuy, all of Seattle; sister Linda Reet Kask and husband Mart of Mercer Island. Wash.; niece Alisa Ferrier and husband Jordon of Elkgrove, Calif.; nephews Andres Kask and wife Angela of Seattle, Aleks Kask of New York and Breck Hale and wife Megan of Wichita Falls; and many great-nieces and great-nephew; sister-in-law Kathy Hale Frankum and husband Billy of Burnet; brother-in-law David Hale and wife Debbie of San Angelo; and many relatives in Estonia.
A memorial service is 11 a.m. Oct. 11 at Highland Lakes United Methodist Church, 8303 RR 1431 West in Kingsland, (325) 388-4187.
A memorial service in Seattle will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Alzheimer’s Association at www.alz.org, or to The Lighthouse Hospice at www.lighthouse-hospice.com.
The family thanks all the loving care and help from Circle of Hands in Burnet, Kingsland Hill Care in Kingsland and Lighthouse Hospice in Round Rock.
Arrangements by Clements-Wilcox Funeral Home, 306 Texas 29 in Burnet, (512) 756-2222.