Norman McGregor Mac Rugheimer, 79

Norman McGregor Mac Rugheimer, Ph.D., 79, formerly of Kalispell and Bozeman, died peacefully in his sleep on Feb. 4, 2010, at home with his daughter Sarah and son-in-law Christian Schmid, in Cambridge, Mass. Mac was born in Charleston, S.C., on Feb. 10, 1930, as the only child of Norman and Helen Rugheimer. At the young age of 16, he began university at the College of Charleston and went on to earn his Ph.D. in physics from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. In 1964, he started teaching physics and mathematics in Bozeman at Montana State University, and became assistant dean of the College of Letters and Science at MSU. Despite his many accomplishments, he preferred to be called Mac rather than Dr. His passion for holography " three-dimensional photography with lasers " brought him a patent and the opportunity to travel the world, sharing his love of science with students everywhere. Even after retirement, Mac took his holographic road show to high schools, inspiring additional generations. Thousands of his students exclaimed, Mac is the best teacher I ever had! Mac eventually relocated to Kalispell where he dedicated his time and interests to Bible study, learning Hebrew, and his church communities. In his later years, Mac resided at Greenwood Village Assisted Living, supported by the attentive staff and owners. Right until the end, he exercised regularly at The Summit, making many friends and inspiring people who knew him with his dedication, optimism, and cheerful smile. Mac is survived by two sons, Peter and wife Lynn, and Paul and wife Stacey; two daughters, Mary Wictor and husband Johan, and Sarah Rugheimer and husband Christian Schmid; former wives, Hallie and Linda; and five grandsons, Erik, Alexander, Levi, Jackson and Nathan. Memorial services will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 20, at the United Methodist Church in Columbia Falls; and at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 18, at the Evangelical Free Church in Bozeman. Online condolences can be sent to rugheimerfamily@gmail.com. Contributions in Mac s memory may be made to: Norman Mac Rugheimer Scholarship, Montana State University Foundation, P.O. Box 172750, Bozeman, MT 59717.