Dr. Josip Zvonimir Šoln

Dr. Josip (Pepi) Zvonimir Šoln, 91, of Vienna, VA, passed away on March 8th leaving a nine decade legacy that spanned Croatia to the United States and was hallmarked by a notable career in theoretical physics that included the authoring of over 120 publicly accessible papers.

Josip was born on March 31, 1934 in Zagreb, Croatia to Jozef Šoln and Marija Tomazin. The eldest of three children, he was a member of the generation that could still remember crossing borders as a child to evade the Nazis and reunite with his family. He started working at the tender age of 13, but despite this, he went on to earn both his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Zagreb in 1957 and then his PhD in Physics in 1960. This was his key to a better life, resulting in his successful emigration to the United States during the Cold War. He instilled this viewpoint onto his only child, Helen Šoln, and watched with tears as she walked the stage at Johns Hopkins to receive her graduate diploma.

After holding a position as a research physicist at the European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland, Josip’s first job in the US was as a professor of undergraduate physics at UCLA. While at UCLA, he also met, fell deeply in love with, and later married a gorgeous student named Patricia (Patsy) Stone. Following their wedding, they slowly crossed the country as Josip took various university positions, eventually retiring as a highly awarded Theoretical Physicist from the US Army after over 29 years of service, his career spanning 49 years total. Physics, however, remained his passion after retirement and he continued to author papers—his last publication as recent as 2024.

Despite all Josip contributed to the field of theoretical physics, he will be equally remembered as a devoted husband and father. Married for over 60 years, he passed less than five months after his darling Patsy, who remained the love of his life until the end. As they slowly worked their way East after meeting at UCLA, Patsy enjoyed her career as a teacher and librarian, retiring from Great Falls Elementary School in Great Falls, VA. At mid-life, Josip threw himself into the role of father with the vigor of a man half his age. A firm believer in a strong body and mind, neighbors remarked how every day they witnessed father-daughter soccer or badminton games, bike rides, and, during wintertime, cross-country skiing.

Josip is survived by his daughter, Helen Šoln, his brother Stanko Šoln, his sister, Suza Šoln, and Helen’s husband, Carlos Fuentes.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Association of the United Stated Army (AUSA) (https://www.ausa.org/donate ), the Riverside Medical Clinic Charitable Foundation (RMCCF) (https://www.rmccharity.org/donate/), or to the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance (https://www.missiledefenseadvocacy.org/membership/).