Obituaries
Obituary: Elliott Justin Siff, 90, Of Westport
The founder of VI Products, Inc., his gyroscope, the smallest in the world, was used in the Apollo Spacecraft Landing.
Information via Abraham L Green and Son Funeral Home
Elliott Justin Siff, 90, son of Esther Wolfson Siff and Irving Siff, passed away peacefully Wednesday, July 7th at his home in Westport CT.
He grew up in Whitestone Queens and attended Cornell University Engineering School, B.M.E. and M.E., where he was elected to the honorary societies Tau Beta Pi and Pi Tau Sigma. He also holds an M.S. from Columbia University. He served on the Advisory Council of the Cornell Engineering School and holds the distinction of being the first undergraduate faculty member.
Find out what's happening in Westportfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
He was founder, chairman and chief executive and chief financial officer of Alcide Corporation, established in 1980. He was Chairman and President of Belmar Corporation, a real estate holding company. In 1962, he founded and ran VI Products, Inc., an aerospace company involved in the development and manufacture of gyroscopes and stabilization systems. His gyroscope, the smallest in the world, was used in the Apollo Spacecraft Landing on the Moon and in the torpedoes in Israel, helping to win the 6-Day War.
In 1975, he created the Ladder Works Inc., which developed, manufactured, and distributed his invention the stowaway step stool. He also founded Meditec Systems Inc., a company based on an ambulatory intravenous system he invented. He holds 22 patents on electro mechanical devices, gyroscopes, housewares, medical devices, and chemical / pharmaceutical products. He has numerous publications in the aerospace field including a reference textbook: "An Engineering Approach to Gyroscopic Instruments."
Find out what's happening in Westportfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Entrepreneur, inventor, author, poet, champion tennis player, Renaissance man, elegant, highly intelligent, wonderful sense of humor, strong, gentle, and most of all, totally devoted to his family.
He is survived by his beloved wife, Marlene, sons, Brad (Meryl) and Brian (Michelle), and grandsons, Jordan, Jackson, and Adam. He was predeceased by a grandson, Noah.
Contributions can be made to the Cornell Engineering School.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
