It is with great sadness that we inform you of the death of Paul Bossard, a retired member of the CERN personnel who worked for several decades on the construction of magnets in the CERN accelerator chain together with their electrical systems.

Paul originally came from the Swiss Canton of Aargau and graduated in electrical engineering from the prestigious Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich (ETHZ). Armed with this qualification, he joined CERN in the late 1960s, starting in one of the groups responsible for building magnets for the Laboratory’s particle accelerators. In his early years at CERN he worked on the construction of the PS Booster (PSB), which was a cutting-edge machine at the time. 

In 1971, Paul was promoted to lead a section responsible for the PSB magnets and their electrical power supplies. He then took up key responsibilities in the technical services for the accelerator, all the time keeping a foothold in the magnet systems. He would pursue these activities in various groups across the Organization right up until his retirement in 1996. 

Paul stood out at CERN for his jovial character, his passion for his work and his active and enthusiastic involvement in CERN’s clubs and associations. Among other things, he was responsible for the “Ski-touring and Nordic competitions” section of the CERN Ski Club, for which he also worked as an instructor. He partially occupied the presidency of CERN’s purchasing cooperative, today known as INTERFON.

Paul’s lust for life also found expression away from work, as he pursued many adventures both in the mountains (he climbed Mont-Blanc several times) and on water (he loved sailing and canoeing). He is survived by four children, who are today mourning his loss.

We will forever remember Paul, a determined and humble worker, and loyal friend. We send our sincere condolences to his family and to everyone he held dear.

His colleagues and friends