Richard K. Yamamoto

Richard K. Yamamoto (1935–2009) was an American elementary particle physicist and professor of physics at MIT focusing primarily on the study of leptons and quarks and their interactions. To this end he was involved with experiments at Brookhaven, Fermilab, and SLAC, including the BaBar Experiment. He was also known for his expertise in building experimental hardware, which he shared with students.

Biographical information and education Richard K. Yamamoto was born June 29, 1935, in Hawaii, the son of Richard M. Yamamoto, a service station proprietor, and Yatsuko Yamamoto, a waitress. He became a freshman at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1953, earning an A.B. in 1957 and a Ph.D. in 1963, working with advisor Irwin A. Pless.

He was known to enjoy working with his hands. A practiced mechanic and a devotee of fast cars, he rebuilt his own car engines and took driving lessons at NASCAR tracks.

With his first wife Lily, a graphic designer, Yamamoto had three daughters and eight grandchildren. His second wife, Kathleen (Cougan) Barreto (1955-2012) was from Sunnyvale, California, and had a career in Silicon Valley.

Yamamoto died October 16, 2009, of complications related to lung cancer. 2008 winner of MIT's "Infinite Mile Award"