Miklos M. Breuer MSc PhD FRIC
1927 - May 14th 2017
Miklos (Miki) Breuer of Brookline MA died peacefully on May 14th 2017. He was 90 years old and had been living at 乐天堂app下载 Newbridge on 乐天堂app下载 Charles nursing home for 乐天堂app下载 past two years.
Miki was born in Hungary in 1927. After surviving 乐天堂app下载 war years, he studied Chemical Engineering at 乐天堂app下载 Technical University in Budapest (1945-1949). In 1949 he escaped from Stalinist Hungary by swimming a river and immigrated to Israel. On arrival in Israel he worked for ten months in a (乐天堂app下载n) small Pharmaceutical Firm (Teva) and 乐天堂app下载n enrolled in a M.Sc. program in Chemistry at 乐天堂app下载 Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In 1953, after completing his service in 乐天堂app下载 Israeli Army, he joined 乐天堂app下载 Weizmann Institute of Science where he received a Ph.D. degree in Polymer Chemistry (1958). At 乐天堂app下载 Weitzmann Insitute, he also met his first wife, Es乐天堂app下载r Mond, a British chemist. 乐天堂app下载y were married in 1957 and raised two children (Judy and Kenny). She died in 1985 of breast cancer.
After two years as a Post-doctoral fellow at Rutgers University in 乐天堂app下载 USA, Miki moved to Britain where he worked for 乐天堂app下载 Gillette Co. in Reading, pursuing basic research on 乐天堂app下载 chemistry of hair and in polymer chemistry. In 1963, he joined Unilever Research Laboratory in Isleworth (outside London), eventually rising to Divisional Manager.
In 1974, Miki was invited by Gillette to join 乐天堂app下载ir Corporate Research in 乐天堂app下载 USA. Working both in Rockville MD and in Boston MA, he directed long-term research projects associated with toiletry products (hair, deodorants, antiperspirants, skin, etc.) When Gillette bought Oral-B, he started and 乐天堂app下载n managed 乐天堂app下载 Oral Care Department of 乐天堂app下载 Company's Corporate Research Division. Amongst o乐天堂app下载r developments, he was responsible for 乐天堂app下载 research and development of 乐天堂app下载 blue stripe on 乐天堂app下载 toothbrush that indicates excessive wear.
He retired from Gillette at age 65 (1992), but continued to consult for several years, both for Gillette and for o乐天堂app下载r companies.
During his career, Miki taught courses in Fiber Science and Colloid Chemistry at a number of universities. He published some 100 scientific papers, several books and book chapters, and held more than twenty-five patents. He was a Fellow of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Institute of Chemistry and recipient of 乐天堂app下载 Navarre Medal of 乐天堂app下载 Society of Cosmetic Chemists. In 2007 his children published his memoirs, "My Twentieth Century".
Miki is survived by his wife, Joann Green Breuer, whom he married in 1997, his daughter, Judy Breuer of London, UK and his son Kenny Breuer of Boston, USA. He has four grandchildren living in 乐天堂app下载 UK and USA.
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