George E. Munson

Robotics Pioneer,

Generous Friend

George E. Munson, of Heritage Village, Southbury, and a resident of Newtown for 26 years, died peacefully at home, September 28, surrounded by family. He was the loving husband of Marcella P. Munson, who was a devoted caregiver during his extended illness.

Mr Munson earned his physics degree from the University of Connecticut in 1951. In the late 1950s he was one of a small group of engineers and physicists who conceived and developed the Unimate, ushering in the age of industrial robotics. In 1962, this development group formed what was to become the premier robotics company in the world, Unimation, Inc.

 He held various positions in the company, including manager of application engineering, manager of marketing and sales, and vice president of the systems division. Mr Munson often lectured at national and international conferences and symposia and wrote numerous articles, the most recent of which was published in Robot magazine in December 2010.

During his career with Unimation and thereafter, Mr Munson was active in the robotics industry as a leader and spokesman here and abroad. He was a founder of Robotics International, an association of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, for which he served as president during the 1985-1986 term.  He served as a director of SME in 1988, and was a member of the International Federation of Robotics executive committee. In 1988, SME honored him as a Fellow in the organization. In 2003, he received the prestigious Joseph F. Engelberger award for applications in robotics. This award recognizes the most significant contributions to the advancement of robotics and automation in the service of human kind. Nominations are received from 26 nations worldwide.

Mr Munson had a great love for history, the sea, his church, family, and the richness of friendships. Family time was often spent “puttering” about the Thimble Islands in the Sea Bum. He was a voracious reader of historically based stories of adventure on the high seas. During his retirement years he became part of that history in his role as engineer and docent on the tall ship, Pilgrim, based at the Ocean Institute in Dana Point, Calif. 

Until illness limited his mobility, he was an active member of St Paul’s Episcopal Church, Woodbury.  He had a very deep faith and he knew Jesus as his Lord and Savior.

The Munsons were adventurers. In their retirement, they spent five years exploring the North American continent in their motor home, “September Song.”  Travel via motor home enabled them to share this time of their lives, as friends and family members joined them along the way.

Mr Munson is remembered by those he knew as generous and loyal. He was a teacher to many, even up to his dying day.

 He will be greatly missed by his loving wife; his two daughters, Susan M. Johnson and her husband, Allan, of Southbury and Pamela M. Tweed and her husband, David, of Newport Beach, Calif.; his son, George E. Munson III of Sacramento, Calif.; four grandchildren; and his sister, Beverly Fader of Massachusetts. 

His family will receive friends, Sunday, October 2, from 4 to 6 pm, at the Southbury funeral home of Munson-Lovetere, 235 Main Street North. A Holy Eucharistic service in celebration of his life will be held Monday, October 3, at 1 pm, in St Paul’s Church, 294 Main Street South, Woodbury. A reception will follow in the church hall.

Mr Munson will be buried on “the sunny side of the hill,” in Newtown Village Cemetery, Elm Drive, Newtown.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Heritage Village Ambulance Association, PO Box 2045, Southbury CT 06488.

To send an on-line condolence visit www.munsonloveterefuneralhome.com

The Newtown Bee     September 30, 2011