Reflections overlook scientists, engineers

I read your story "Remembering those we lost in 2019" Friday, Dec. 27. I note it was from an Associated Press story with more items online. Interesting. Your editors appear to have removed some of the names appearing in the print copy.

It was a good list of leader/trailblazers and icons/entertainers. There were even sports figures. As an engineer, I found troublesome the omission of scientists and engineers in the list of notable deaths in the print version.

Why do we continue to ignore the passing of these professionals in end-of-the-year memorials?

One engineer that should have been mentioned: George J. Laurer, the inventor of bar code scanning. Then there is Christopher Kraft, NASA Mission Control's founding father, who was omitted in the print version but listed in the online text. Locally, I note the passing of structural engineer Srinivasa (Hal) Iyengar, formerly of Evanston.

I suspect there are other scientists and engineers who have shaped our world yet we fail to remember their contributions to society in these remembrances.

Robert B. Johnson

Buffalo Grove