Dale Burger
He is survived by his wife Suzanne Swanson Burger; his daughter from his first marriage, Maria Burger; and Suzanne’s daughters Laura Bell and Nancy Maltby, as well as many extended family members and friends. His sister Eleanor Wolfram predeceased him.
Dale earned a degree in mechanical engineering in 1956 from the California Institute of Technology as well as a masters’ degree in mechanical engineering in 1958 from USC and an MBA from Stanford in 1964. In the early 1950s he served in a U.S. Army survey platoon in Germany and France.
He joined the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in April 1978, refining solar panel photovoltaics for widespread use on Earth. His culminating achievement was designing the first solar arrays on Mars for the 1997 Mars Pathfinder spacecraft, lander, and Sojourner rover. In retirement Dale actively sought intellectual challenges and enjoyed tutoring young students in math and physics.
In 1943, Dale’s father purchased 160 acres of Sierra land that had once been a fishing retreat for L.C. Brand of Glendale. It became a sanctuary for family, friends, wildlife, and migratory birds. In 2025, with support from the Eastern Sierra Land Trust and the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, the land was returned to the Mono Lake Kootzaduka’a Tribe.
The family suggests contributions to Caltech’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships program, Whittier College, the Mono Lake Committee, or the Eastern Sierra Land Trust. A memorial gathering in Pasadena, California will be announced at a future date.