John Jaech, ’51, ’53, swung for the fences creating nuclear safeguards
Jaech was internationally known for the nuclear safeguards he devised.
John Jaech died days short of what would have been his 96th birthday, Jan. 20.
John Jaech, internationally recognized as a leader in developing and applying statistical methods in nuclear materials safeguards, died of natural causes on Jan. 3 at the age of 95.
Born in Tacoma on Jan. 20, 1929, John attended Lincoln High School in Tacoma. He worked as a mail carrier while going to college and graduated from the University of Washington with a bachelor’s degree in 1951 and a master’s degree in 1953, studying mathematical science. He married his childhood sweetheart, Lorna Schmidt, and raised six children with her before her untimely death in 1973. He worked for General Electric on the Hanford Nuclear Reservation and at the Vallecitos Nuclear Center before returning to the Hanford Area (north of the Tri-Cities in Benton County) to lead the mathematics department at the Pacific Northwest National Lab and then to Jersey Nuclear (later Exxon Nuclear) where he was a founding staff member. During his time at GE, he was credited with developing “run to rupture” tests to determine the useful life of atomic fuels, saving GE billions of dollars.
He became the chairman of the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management (INMM) in 1983-84, where he was also awarded the Distinguished Service Plaque and became a Fellow of the organization.
John’s contributions to the field led him to lead the U.S. delegation to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and form working group meetings on the “Technical Effectiveness of IAEA Facility Inspections.” He was a consultant to the IAEA from 1972 to 2000 and a full-time expert sponsored by the U.S. State Department at their headquarters in Vienna from 1985 to 1993.
One of John’s many accomplishments was his contribution on statistical methods to the IAEA Safeguards Technical Manual, which was distributed to member states. He also developed a one-week course on statistical methods in safeguards and conducted classes in the U.S. and England for many years. He was an international figure, flying across the Atlantic Ocean 79 times during his career.
In addition to his contributions to nuclear materials management, John was an avid sports enthusiast. He was active in top-rated fastpitch softball for many years and continued playing golf well into his 90s. He also had a hobby of ink and watercolor painting, which brought him great joy. He wrote and illustrated the children’s book “Louie and Spike” along with numerous humorous calendars, sketchbooks and memoirs for his family and friends.
John published two technical books and over 100 research papers in various statistical journals throughout his career. He also taught and mentored dozens of managers and mathematicians.
John Jaech will be remembered for his contributions to nuclear safeguards, passion for sports and artistic talents. His wife, Anna Patricia Jaech, survives him with his six children and their spouses, Jeffrey and Rebecca; Jeremy and Jacquelyn, Justin and Roger, Jonathan and Gina, Jennifer and David, and Joseph and Kaylee; his 13 grandchildren; and his five great-grandchildren. His son Jeremy, who graduated from the UW with a bachelor’s degree in 1977 and a master’s degree in 1980, served on the UW Board of Regents from 2012 until 2024. John will be deeply missed by his family, friends and colleagues.