Daniel Koon

Dear Laurentian Community, 

I write today to share the sad news that Professor Emeritus of Physics Daniel Koon passed away on May 7 at the age of 66. 

Daniel joined the St. Lawrence faculty in 1987 and taught in the Department of Physics until his retirement in 2022. A gifted teacher, accomplished scholar, and generous colleague, he inspired generations of students through both his classroom instruction and collaborative research. He specialized in materials science, particularly investigating how materials interact with electrons and measuring electrical charge. Daniel was widely respected for research he conducted with students at St. Lawrence and in laboratories around the world, including in Costa Rica, Spain, the Czech Republic, and Germany. 

After earning his bachelor’s degree in physics from Lebanon Valley College, Daniel received a Fulbright Scholarship from the Technical University of Berlin and then completed his Ph.D. at the University of Rochester. He later received a second Fulbright grant for research in Prague. Daniel’s intellectual curiosity seemed to have no bounds as he became known internationally and across disciplines for having proven that polar bear hair does not behave as an ultraviolet light pipe and that the iridescence of butterflies acts as a sunblock, not a solar collector. Teaching science fiction in the First-Year Program led him to translate Cuban science fiction stories from Spanish to English. 

Students and colleagues knew Daniel not only for his intellect and creativity, but also for his warmth, humor, and wide-ranging interests. He traveled extensively, sang tenor with the St. Lawrence Community Chorus, enjoyed genealogy research and long-distance running, and was an enthusiastic collector of music. He especially loved baking, sharing Austrian pastries such as Linzertorte with family and friends. A devoted and lifelong Pittsburgh Steelers fan, Daniel brought the same enthusiasm and loyalty to the communities and people he cared about most. 

Daniel is survived by his wife, Judy Simon of Canton; his son, Eli Simon Koon of Burlington, Vermont; his brothers, Richard, Roger, and Brian and their families. He was predeceased by his parents, Rev. Daniel F. Yetter and Margaret (Leedom) Yetter, and by his brother, David Koon. 

Daniel’s passion for discovery, teaching, and lifelong learning left a lasting impression on colleagues, students, and friends across the Laurentian community. 

Please join us in honoring Daniel’s life by sharing your memories of him on the St. Lawrence University website. You can read the remembrances of others here. 

Sincerely, 
Kate Morris