Cidambi K. Kumar

Cidambi Krishna Kumar of Ellicott City, Maryland, passed away peacefully on the morning of June 2, 2025 in his home. He was born September 24, 1937 in Chennai, India, the son of Padmavathy and Cidambi Ekambaram.

Kumar is survived by his loving wife of 57 years, Pamela Brown Kumar. He also leaves behind his son, Ramanathan Kumar, Ramanathan’s wife Anjuli Kumar, and their children Kiran, Lola, and Arjun of Princeton, NJ; his daughter Dr. Gita Dittmar, Gita’s husband Alexander Dittmar, and their children Marisa and Felix of San Diego, California; and his brothers Cidambi Srinivasan and Vijaya.

Kumar (aka Kris, Dad, Periappa, and most importantly Grandpa), studied at Andhra University in India, and then moved to the US where he completed a M.S. at University of Wisconsin-Madison followed by a Ph.D. in Astronomy at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he also met and married his dear wife, Pamela.

After completing his Ph.D, Kumar moved to Washington D.C. with his family where he completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the Carnegie Institute’s Department of Terrestrial Magnetism and collaborated with renowned astronomer Dr. Vera Rubin, a pioneer in the study of Dark Matter. Kumar then moved to Howard University where he became a Professor of Physics and Astronomy. For more than three decades he taught physics, astronomy, and atmospheric sciences, served as lead investigator on many NASA and NSF grant-funded research programs, and served as a consultant to the Space Department on missile defense technologies.

Kumar later moved to the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Columbia, Maryland. As a Senior Physicist on staff, he made many contributions to sensor development for early missile launch detection and intercept debris characterization, and he consulted on numerous Ballistic Missile Defense suborbital flight missions. Through his career he authored more than 30 refereed articles in scientific journals on topics in Astronomy, Astrophysics, Physics, and Geophysics. After his official retirement in 2011, he continued to consult on projects at APL and developed a passion for identifying solutions to climate change, which became a lasting interest he continued to pursue throughout retirement. Kumar developed many deep friendships and continued to meet his colleagues regularly throughout his retirement years.

Kumar enjoyed sharing stories, thoughts, and ideas on the golf course, cheering on his Orioles at Camden Yards, and attending performances of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. He especially loved spending time with his grandchildren, traveling and exploring the world with his wife Pamela, practicing German with Gita’s father-in-law, and instructing grandsons Arjun and Felix on the finer points of soccer.

Kumar will be remembered by all for his quiet intelligence, sense of humor, and kind nature. He built innumerable lasting friendships with neighbors, classmates, and colleagues. Most of all, he was a nurturing and loving presence to his family and will be truly missed.

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