Joseph Stephen Brugler
Dec. 23, 1936-Nov. 28, 2023
Palo Alto, California
Longtime Palo Alto resident Joseph Stephen Brugler (Steve) died peacefully at home on November 28, 2023, in his final moments quoting Shakespeare and asking his wife of 64 years for a kiss. An early contributor to the semiconductor industry, Steve spent his professional life working to enhance the lives of people with disabilities/illnesses through technology, and in retirement he continued to support individuals and his community through volunteerism.
Born December 23, 1936 in San Francisco to the late Louise and Joseph Brugler, Steve was carried across the Golden Gate Bridge as an infant the day it opened. The bridge served as the site for his marriage proposal to his wife Gayle, which the two recreated during the bridge’s 50th anniversary celebration. Steve grew up in San Bruno and was the first class to attend Capuchino High School, where he played basketball and the French horn and worked throughout scooping ice cream at Shaw’s in Millbrae. A $1100 annual scholarship allowed him to begin a long affiliation with Stanford University, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a BS in Physics, and returned for both a Masters and PhD in Electrical Engineering. In between his degrees he worked at the Naval Ordinance Testing Station in China Lake, California, where he met Gayle at a ski club meeting, and their two children Stephanie and Bruce were born.
Steve’s PhD thesis work had broad useful applications in chip design. It led to the formation of Telesensory Systems Inc., a company that created a tactile reading aid for the blind, the Optacon, which allowed people with vision loss to live more independent lives. Steve’s career as an electrical engineer and manager of electronics development in the early days of Silicon Valley included roles at Novacor Medical, ReSound and Johnson & Johnson’s Lifescan. Steve was inspired by tackling technical challenges as well as by the benefits resulting from the devices he helped invent. He is remembered as a true innovator, with a unique ability to see things that other could not and to articulate his vision in a way that was clear, concise, and inspiring.
In his retirement Steve volunteered extensively, driving for Care-A-Van for Kids and working for Friends of the Palo Alto Library and The Sea Ranch Trails Committee. He supported Yosemite Conservancy, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, American Conservatory Theater and Theatreworks. A valued friend, he was the catalyst for preserving longtime bonds with his Stanford Encina and Larkin buddies and many former work colleagues.
Steve was a quietly passionate man with many interests. He did extensive family genealogy work. He loved the stars, and he and Gayle traveled the globe to witness nine total solar eclipses, from Madagascar to Mexico. Steve saw every Shakespeare play at least once. He relished spinning rock and roll from the 50’s and 60’s on his vintage Wurlitzer Juke Box. He collected Tom Swift first edition books, and loved when the young inventor protagonist’s inventions came true in real life. He was a tinkerer and fixer of all manner of things.
Steve had a lifelong love of “traipsing around the mountains.” At the tender age of 4 ½ he conquered Yosemite’s Mist Trail to Vernal Falls. During college summers he worked at Camp Curry, graduating from bus boy to bell hop, and spending his free time exploring Yosemite’s many trails. He hiked and backpacked all through the Sierras as a boy scout and young man. He and Gayle honeymooned in Yosemite and returned with family regularly. Steve loved the trails at Sea Ranch, where the family built a vacation home and he served as a longtime member of the Trails Committee. As a volunteer with the Mid-Peninsula Regional Open Space District, he hiked all 250+ miles of District trails.
Steve is survived by his beloved wife Gayle, his children Stephanie Dauer (Chris) and Bruce Brugler (Cam), and his grandchildren Linc and Allie Dauer and Duncan, Kelly and Lexi Brugler. He was predeceased by his brother Jack Crawford. Donations in his memory to either openspace.org or yosemiteconservancy.org would be appreciated. A celebration of Steve’s life for family and friends will be held in the future.
