Dear Pippin Family,

 

I am a former employee, I did not know Dr. Pippin well but I sure heard enough outstanding things about him to feel as though I did. Yes, his list of business achievements goes on for days, but here is something else to think about.....

How many husbands/wives and families have come from the formation of this company? Not to mention friendships. I for one met my husband at EMS( he is still employed-24 years now) and can name at least 10 other couples that are still together and happy. Aside from the "couples" I know I can speak for many when I say that some of my closest friends I met at EMS .

Dr. Pippin did much more than form a successful company, he formed forever friendships and for that I say thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

 

EMS Technologies Founder, John E. Pippin, Dead at Age 79 

Entrepreneurial Spirit, Technology Leadership Remembered

ATLANTA - July 16, 2007 - EMS Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:ELMG),

EMS Technologies Inc. announced the loss of one of Georgia’s leading visionaries in technology with the passing of the company’s founder and first CEO, Dr. John E. Pippin, 79, on Friday after a prolonged illness.

Dr. Pippin founded EMS Technologies (then Electromagnetic Sciences Inc.), along with eight employees, in 1968, and retired as the company chairman in 1998. He is credited with establishing the company as the place to go when the engineering community had ‘impossible’ microwave problems to solve.

From its earliest days, EMS focused on developing technologies for advanced wireless communications. “We were an entrepreneurial company from day one,” Pippin stated in a company videotape created to observe EMS’s 30th anniversary in 1998. “The main reason we were successful was our people.”

In the early 1970s, EMS pioneered the use of ferrite technology in space applications. As its technology base grew, EMS became an important supplier to the U.S. Defense Department, especially in space communications. A major milestone came in 1976 when EMS built the first electronically steerable antenna flown in space for the Defense Satellite Communications System (DSCS) satellite, precursor to both Milstar and Advanced EHF, built to ensure secure communication transmissions among U.S. military and country leaders. Today, almost every major military satellite flying in space carries EMS hardware. The company had 2006 revenues of $260 million and employs 1,000 people, with major offices in Norcross, and Ottawa, Canada.

EMS President and CEO Paul Domorski stated, “We are indebted to Dr. Pippin for his entrepreneurial spirit and for his visionary leadership that gave EMS its strong technology foundation. It’s that foundation that has served EMS so well, and has continued to be a hallmark of our company. Dr. Pippin’s spirit will continue to live on in our labs and in our people as we design high-performing, high-quality products to meet our customers’ needs, and grow the company in the future. On behalf of all the employees of EMS, we extend our heartfelt condolences to Dr. Pippin’s family.”

EMS Chairman of the Board John Mowell added, “John Pippin was truly a self-made man, who possessed a significant hunger for acquiring scientific knowledge, knowledge he would later translate into innovative solutions to extremely challenging problems and programs at EMS. In his field, he was considered the absolute best! Beyond that, John, in my opinion, had one of the very finest human qualities a leader could possibly have...compassion, not only for his colleagues and fellow workers, but his family and friends as well. John will now continue his journey in a better place, and no doubt, will continue to voice concerns to his superiors as to the physics of the universe.”

Prior to founding EMS, Pippin was vice president of Research at Scientific-Atlanta, where he served from 1964 to 1968. A Fellow of the National Science Foundation and an IEEE Fellow, Dr. Pippin was an engineering graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology, and earned his Ph.D in Applied Physics from Harvard University.

About EMS Technologies, Inc.

EMS Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: ELMG) is a wireless and satellite communication solutions leader, serving aeronautical, defense, maritime, commercial space and supply chain markets. Through its LXE, EMS SATCOM, and Defense & Space Systems divisions, EMS keeps people, systems and data connected, wherever they are -- on the ground, in the warehouse, in the air, or in space. The company is headquartered in Atlanta, employs approximately 1,000 people worldwide and operates major manufacturing facilities in Atlanta and Ottawa, Canada.

For more information, visit EMS on the World Wide Web at www.ems-t.com.

# # #

Editor’s Note: Reporters can download a high-resolution image of Dr. Pippin at: www.ems-t.com/pippin.

For more information, please contact:

Anne Wainscott-Sargent
Public Relations
EMS Technologies
770.798.6811
pr@ems-t.com

OBITUARIES: DULUTH: John E. Pippin, 79, pioneer in satellite communications

By George Chidi
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 07/17/07

Mourners will say goodbye today to Dr. John E. Pippin of Duluth, a founding father of the north Atlanta technology boom and a pioneer in satellite communications technology. He died Friday at age 79.

The funeral begins at 11 a.m. at Norcross First United Methodist Church.

Pippin established a forerunner to EMS Technologies Inc. in Gwinnett County, helping to establish the area as friendly territory for communications technology companies.

As the company grew from an eight-man shop in 1968 to employ more than 1,000 people today, Pippin insisted that it contribute to local institutions such as Gwinnett Technical College. That support helped fuel the company's growth, and the growth of the county as well, said Don Scartz, EMS Technologies executive vice president and chief financial officer.

"He understood that companies headquartered in an area have a spinoff effect," Scartz said.

Pippin earned bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Ph.D in applied physics from Harvard University. His contributions funded two chairs at Georgia Tech in the study of wireless communications and electromagnetics.

If Scientific Atlanta —- now an arm of Cisco Systems —- can be thought of as the grandfather of Gwinnett County's technology community, then Pippin's EMS Technologies might be considered its first son.

Pippin left his job as vice president of research at Scientific-Atlanta in 1968 to found Electromagnetic Sciences Inc., taking seven Scientific-Atlanta engineers with him.

Pippin wanted to exploit a new technology he developed in his Harvard doctoral thesis, Scartz said. And he also had a fierce entrepreneurial streak, Scartz added.

"He thought he could have a better company than some of the ones he'd seen," Scartz said. "He was very much a free-enterprise guy."

The forerunner of EMS Technologies focused on microwave technology for use in the space race of the 1960s.

After the Soviet Union shot down a U.S. spy plane in 1960, the defense establishment expanded its interest in the use of spy satellites. Pippin's company developed technology for those satellites, expanding over time to meet the military's demand.

The company built the antenna for a military satellite to allow secure communication transmissions. Almost every major military satellite flying in space now carries EMS hardware, the company said in a news release announcing Pippin's death.

"John Pippin was truly a self-made man," said John Mowell, chairman of the EMS board. He described Pippin as a compassionate man with "a significant hunger for acquiring scientific knowledge."

To my Dad, John E Pippin, with love….
           
Did You Know the Man

Did you know the man,
The man that I knew?
Five foot nine, eyes of blue.
With a wit oh so quick
And a intellect so keen
One of the brightest stars
I’ve ever seen.

Did you know the man,
The man that I knew?
Leader of many, peer of few.
From humble beginnings
Those days in the sun
To success spread to many
A tight ship he did run.

Did you know the man,
The man that I knew?
Wise advice offered, right on queue.
With love for family
And a yearning to learn
Nothing he was given
Everything he earned.

Did you know the man,
The man that I knew?
Stuck with a problem, he’d offer a clue
Did he touch your life
In some meaningful way?
“Work hard but work smart”
He preached each day.

Did you know the man,
The man that I knew?
Come here and smile, do not be blue.
For he lived a full life
A great impact he had
I’m proud to proclaim
That that man was my Dad.

           
                John F. Pippin
                July 17, 2007

Eulogy
John Eldon Breckenridge Pippin
July 17, 2007


We come here today to show our respects and to celebrate the life of John Eldon Breckenridge Pippin. To many people he was known as Dr. Pippin or John but we knew him as Dad.  Dad was known as a man with keen intellect, sharp wit, a perfectionist and a disciplinarian. However, the person we knew was a very loving and generous man.

Dad was born October 7, 1927 in the tiny town of Kinard, located in the panhandle of Florida, son of Festus and Mary Elvie Scott Packwood Pippin. He came from a rather large family comprised of one sister, Shirley and three half-sisters, Myrtle, Mary and Blanche and three half-brothers, Frank, Charles and Jimmy. To his family he went by the name Eldon.  His father Festus was a self made man who among other things was a high school principal known for strict discipline, a trait carried on by our father. We do not know much of Dad’s early years; however we do know that his life’s journey was greatly influenced when he moved to Tampa, FL before his senior year in high school.

Before he moved to Tampa, the only advanced math course his high school offered was Algebra. When he got to Plant High School in Tampa his senior year he discovered a whole new world of challenges & opportunities, Geometry, Algebra II, Trigonometry and Calculus. He was astounded! Since he could not pick between the options confronting him, he just decided to take them all his senior year.  Thus was born his passion for math and analytical thinking.

After high school in July of 1945, he enlisted in the Navy. As the story goes, word of his enlistment quickly made its way across the Pacific and the war ended soon thereafter. In July of 1946, Dad received an honorable discharge as an Electronic Technician’s Mate, 3rd Class.  He then enrolled at Georgia Tech to study electrical engineering.  He earned a 4.17 GPA and graduated with a BEE in 1951. While at Tech, he heard of another Pippin who was a student at Crawford Long…our Mom, Barbara Ann Pippin.  Oh and by the way her father’s name was John D. Pippin. And you can be assured that before they married her mother made sure that they were not related!   They married on June 15th, 1952. 

Dad received his master’s in EE in 1953 from Georgia Tech and was accepted at Harvard University where he earned a doctorate in Applied Physics. While in Boston, Mom and Dad had their first two children, Carol and John F.  From there they made it back down South, much to the pleasure of Mom, to Clearwater, Florida where the family increased by one with the arrival of Christine.

Dad’s professional career began at Sperry Microwave Electronics Corp in humid Clearwater, Florida. Dad loved to tell the story that when a customer would come to visit Sperry, inevitably, the first words out of their mouth after exiting the airplane were “Man, it sure is humid here!” Then one time Dad made a trip to Boulder, Colorado, I’m sure to escape the humidity. After arriving in Colorado he was confronted with a blinding snow storm and sub-zero temperatures. After a treacherous drive to the hotel, the desk clerk, after reviewing his ID, noted where he was from and said, “I hear is pretty humid down there.”

After six years in humid Florida, Dad accepted the position of VP Research at Scientific Atlanta, Inc. The year was 1964.  As children, we remember Dad telling & enticing us with the prospect of eating hot dogs at the Varsity while watching TV. You see at our house watching TV while you ate dinner was never allowed.  In 1968, another event occurred which would determine his life’s journey for years to come.  Scientific Atlanta divested itself of the Division where Dad worked, which provided the catalyst for the formation of Electromagnetic Sciences, Inc.

To make EMS a success required sacrifice and long hours. Our Dad was up to the task and he expected nothing less from the people whose contributions to the company’s success were no less important that his. Our father had several plaques with inspirational quotes in his office, such as “Diplomacy is the art of letting someone have your way” and “Be reasonable, see it my way.” Perhaps none was more appropriate than that from Isaiah “I will give you 2,000 horses if you are able, on your part, to set riders upon them.”

Dad retired from EMS in 1998. Under his guidance EMS became a successful business providing thousands of jobs while maintaining that small company atmosphere cloaked with family values.

Our Dad achieved many accomplishments during his life time but perhaps his biggest accomplishment in his mind was his family.  A family of three children soon grew to become a family to include seven grandchildren, John G, Stephanie, Asheley, Jennifer, Todd, Jessica and Margie and two great grandchildren, Syrus and Addison. He loved his grandchildren encouraging them always to do their best and to remember “you’re never too old to learn.”

He loved humor…watching the Three Stooges and his favorite movie, “The Gods Must Be Crazy”.  Oh and the stories he could tell… Mom and Dad enjoyed many wonderful days spent at Panama City Beach and Lake Burton with friends and family.  And oh he loved a crowd!!!  

Our Mom and Dad celebrated their 50th anniversary on June 15, 2002.  Not long after, on November 13, 2002 Mom passed away.  Together they formed strong family values, values that have been and will be passed on to future generations.  Dad referred to Mom as the “architect” and himself as the “construction manager.” 

In the years that followed Mom’s death, Dad struggled with life without her.  About a year after Mom’s passing, our Dad was introduced to a special lady, Irene Champion of Columbus, Georgia. During the last four years, they traveled extensively and Dad was introduced to a whole new set of friends in Columbus. Dad and Irene made some very special memories together.  We are grateful to Irene and how she helped to make our fathers waning years so special.

In the last five years Dad developed a love for writing poetry.  With every new adventure he would share the memories with each of us in a poem. During the last few weeks of his life, Dad asked specifically about a poem he had written and we would like to share that with you….

This poem is dedicated to my good friend Kenneth,
whose talent for exaggerating the memories
of his youth endear him to all.


The Poor Boy from the Mountains

He came down from the distant hills,
From the hills of Habersham,
Where men still doff their well-worn hats,
And the boys all still say ma’am.
From a place so deep within the woods,
Electricity did not go,
But where, from both man and corn,
Good spirits to this day flow.

He played the music of that land
On an instrument quite bizarre,
Bringing haunting melodies to our ear
From a strange but powerful guitar.
He told stories of his childhood
And his voice would swell with pride
As in the telling and retelling
His tales grew tall and wide

He told us of his Spartan life
In the house where he was born—
Of the glow of kerosene lamps
On a winter’s early morn,
The kerosene heater’s welcome warmth
In that house tucked in a cove,
And the smell of bacon frying
On top a kerosene stove;

Of his dogged perseverance,
Despite failures regular,
Till he had finally fashioned
A kerosene-powered guitar!
He told those tales and played his songs,
Brought tears and laughter on his cue
Reminding of our heritage
And of values tried and true.

As we stood and listened there
In Habersham on that day,
We knew that we’d been privileged
To have heard him talk and play,
And we stood in awe of the talent
And endless repertoire
Of that poor boy from the mountain
With his own unique guitar.

                              ……..John E. Pippin
                                      2007

Today we say our farewells to a great man and loving father. To family members and friends we thank you for loving our Dad as much as we do.  Dad we love you deeply and you will be missed.  May we remember what you have taught, the advice you have given and practice the values you have instilled in each of us each day of our remaining lives here on Earth. Until we meet again …May God hold you in the Palm of His Hands.

With Love Always,
Your Family

Jesus when resurrects to Lazaro seach in the gospel of John chapter 11 verses 11 to the 14 write : Our friend Lazaro rest,Jesus evidence to the resuscitate to Lazaro.

God remember the people the diet,the dead not will more,the Bible assure Apocalypse chapter 21 verses 4: The  death not more,warrant the Bible,this hope it's of great comfort.

For more information turn to: htpp:/www.wj.org 

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Pippin family. I was an employee of EMS from 1985 to 1993 and had the privilege to know Dr. Pippin (his wife Barbara, John F. and Carol). From our first meeting I was always in awe of his genius and his humility. I remember his “old” pickup truck and his dislike of his portrait that hung in the corporate office after we relocated our headquarters to Engineering Drive. I remember John F. and the respect he had for his dad and his sweet daughter Carol both of whom worked for EMS while I was there and I guess you could say that Carol got married through EMS to Carey. It was only today that I discovered this Memorial to Dr. Pippin but I am glad I had this opportunity to show my respect.  

 

Dear Fisher, Mobley and Pippin Families,

Our thoughts and our prayers are with all of you.  John was truly blessed to have had such a wonderful and loving Family.

Michael, Katie, Charlene, Mike, Stephanie and Tyler

 

 

To the Pippin Family, It has been wonderful seeing and sharing John and Barbara's growing family all these years. You are all a tribute to two special caring people as they have lived their lives. We are saddened that they have gone on before but their love, humor, warmth, concern will live on in our memories forever. We are richer for having shared these moments in time. We send our love and sympathy.