Dr. Kurt Amboss, a dedicated family man, brilliant physicist, gifted musician, and a survivor whose life story began with a remarkable act of rescue, passed away peacefully at the age of 99 on October 19th in Palm Desert.

Born in Vienna, Austria, on October 18, 1926, Kurt's early life was dramatically altered by the growing threat of the Second World War. As a Jewish child, he was one of the thousands rescued by the Kindertransport (Project Kinder), the organized effort that relocated thousands of children from Nazi-controlled territories to safety in Great Britain. He lived from the age of twelve to 14 in a boys home, essentially as an orphan, and became self supporting at the age of 14. This experience, forged an extraordinary resilience and determination that defined his life.

In 1944, Kurt became a Naturalized citizen of Great Britain. Thanks to the help of his dear friends Heather and Robin Tanner, Kurt was able to prepare for and pass entrance examinations for university with no formal education. With immense self-reliance and intellectual drive, Kurt put himself through college, ultimately earning a Ph.D.  in Physics from the University of London, in 1959. His professional career included work at institutions such as Sylvania electronics, and Hughes Aircraft at both the Malibu Research Lab and Hughes Torrence labs, where he made valuable contributions in his field. He was sought out internationally, as an expert in his field and spent one year teaching graduate level physics at the University of Tel Aviv. Publications in NASA experimental records and numerous patents owned by Hughes Aircraft are his physics legacy.

In the late 1950’s he met an married Carin Berggren and moved to California.  They went on to have two daughters, Monica Elizabeth and Julie Margit.  After divorcing, Kurt met and married, Phyllis Thompson, who has been his lifelong love for over fifty years. Together they have traveled the world, visiting the middle east, central America, Europe and Australia. In 1989, he became a naturalized citizen of the United States.

Beyond his scientific achievements, Dr. Amboss was a true renaissance man, a good samaritan who spent his retirement years volunteering with the American red cross, and quietly feeding the homeless.   He had a variety of cherished talents and interests. He was just at home reciting a limerick by Ogden Nash with a twinkle in his eye, or building a patio cover. He was an accomplished classical piano player, finding solace and expression in music. He was also a passionate outdoorsman, who enjoyed rock climbing the cliffs of the English coast, or riding motor bikes in England as a young man. Later in time, he could be found on horseback in Malibu,  camping, or cross country skiing in the mountains.  In his later years, he devoted time to gardening, cultivating life and beauty with the same meticulous care he applied to his scientific work. His garden was even the subject of the Pacific Palisades garden club tours.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Phyllis Amboss,  his two daughters, Monica, and Julie from his first marriage,  and a step-daughter, Sharon, from his marriage to Phyllis.  He also leaves 9 Grandchildren: Aaron, Amanda, Ashley, Annika, Mia, Lily, Jimmy Jr., Stephen and Jason. And 6 great grandchildren: Kailey, Karley, Eva, Sunnie, Lucy, and June.  He leaves behind a legacy of overcoming adversity, intellectual curiosity, compassion, humor and a deep appreciation for the arts and nature.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 1 PM on October 28,2025 Address below:

Wiefels Mortuary Chapel

690 Vella Rd, Palm Springs,

CA 92264

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the American Red Cross.