Dr. Sylvan Charles Bloch, born Nov. 9, 1931, in Vicksburg to Laz Otto Bloch and Evelyn Sophie Myers Bloch, and grandson of Dr. Sylvan Myers, died of natural causes on Oct. 15, 2015, in his home in Tampa, Fla.

Dr. Bloch was a graduate of the Carr Central High School in Vicksburg and a naval engineering graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy who continued to pursue his passion for the physical sciences by completing an M.S. in physics at the University of Miami and a Ph.D. in physics at Florida State University.

After graduation, Dr. Bloch joined the faculty of the physics department of the University of South Florida, where he served as a professor for 35 years during which his research included satellite communications and electromagnetic properties of plasmas.

He was also a lifetime ham radio operator whose call sign was W5NIV, which will forevermore remain a silent key.

His keen intellect, curiosity, and unquenchable thirst for knowledge contributed to his youthful enthusiasm, as did his lively sense of humor and appreciation for the gift of life.

He is survived by his daughter, Vanessa LaFaye; and his son, Dr. Lawrence Bloch; as well as his three grandchildren, who were the light of his life and to whom he could not have been more devoted.

His funeral will be April 18, 2016, at 10 a.m., when he will be buried according to his wishes in his hometown of Vicksburg next to his parents and grandparents in Anshe Chesed Cemetery under the direction of Riles Funeral Home.

Please direct donations in the memory of Dr. Sylvan Bloch to The Dr. Sylvan Myers Award for Highest Achievement in Physics and Mathematics by Pre-Medical Students, Department of Physics, University of South Florida, ISA 2019, University of South Florida 4202 East Fowler Ave Tampa, FL 33620-7100.