A scenic landscape representing the legacy of a devoted community leader and physicist.
Virginia Elizabeth Voegeli Royden, known as Jinx, has passed away peacefully at the age of 98. A respected physicist and community leader, her work and dedication have profoundly impacted those around her. Jinx’s journey from being a valedictorian at her high school to earning advanced degrees in physics at Stanford showcases her brilliance. Throughout her life, she balanced a career in science with family and community involvement, leaving behind a legacy of inspiration and love.
Palo Alto, CA – Virginia Elizabeth Voegeli Royden, affectionately known as Jinx, passed away quietly in her sleep on April 30, 2025, at the age of 98. Her contributions to the field of physics, combined with her role as a devoted community leader, have left a lasting impact on many.
Born on March 17, 1927, in Baltimore, Maryland, she was the eldest child of Virginia Elizabeth Handy and Clarence Earl Voegeli. Jinx grew up in a military family, moving frequently due to her father’s career in the U.S. Navy. Her childhood included living in numerous cities including Annapolis, Arlington, Los Angeles, and Honolulu. Notably, her young life was impacted by her father’s service aboard the U.S.S. Arizona, where she fondly remembered attending Sunday dinners during his duty.
The family relocated to Honolulu in 1941 but was forced to evacuate following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December of that year. They later settled in Coronado, California, where Clarence Voegeli established the Landing Craft School at the Amphibious Training Base. Jinx excelled academically and graduated as Valedictorian from Coronado High School in 1944, highlighting her talents in Field Hockey and earning the Bausch and Lomb Honorary Science Award.
Jinx pursued higher education at Stanford University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Physics in 1948, followed by a Master of Science in Physics in 1949. It was there that she met Halsey Lawrence Royden, who would become her husband later that year. The couple moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, in Fall 1949 for their doctoral studies—Jinx focusing on Nuclear Physics while Halsey concentrated on Mathematics.
However, challenges during her doctoral studies necessitated a move back to California in 1951 when Halsey joined Stanford’s Mathematics Department. In early 1952, she began her professional career at Varian Associates, contributing to the establishment of the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Applications Laboratory. Her research culminated in a published paper in the Physical Review in 1954, which detailed frequency measurement techniques.
Following her resignation from Varian in 1954, Jinx devoted herself to raising their three children: Leigh, Halsey, and Constance. The family enjoyed rich experiences abroad during Halsey’s sabbaticals, residing in Zurich, Switzerland, for a year from 1958 to 1959, and in Ankara, Turkey, for six months in 1966.
When her children left for college, Jinx returned to her education with graduate studies at the Stanford Business School. After the death of her husband in 1993, she filled her time with travel, church activities at St. Bede’s Episcopal Church in Menlo Park, and engaged in recreational pursuits that included Master’s Swimming and participating in the Bay to Breakers event in San Francisco. Her adventurous spirit took her to destinations including hiking in New Zealand, whale watching in Mexico, and white-water rafting on the Colorado River.
Jinx was a longtime resident of Los Altos Hills before moving to the Vi in Palo Alto. She is survived by her three children, Leigh Handy Royden, Halsey Lawrence Royden, and Constance Slavens Royden, along with six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
A funeral service will be held on July 21, 2025, at St. Bede’s Episcopal Church in Menlo Park, California, at 2:00 PM to honor her memory and contributions.
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