Jeff Donaldson Bronson Jr.

Jeff Bronson, 87, passed away on October 8, 2025 at his home in College Station. Jeff was born at Methodist Hospital in Dallas, Texas on August 12, 1938 to Jeff and Elsie (Mosley) Bronson. Jeff grew up in Grand Prairie, Texas, attending the Shady Grove and Grand Prairie School Systems. He loved learning at an early age. In the second grade he pestered the teacher so much that she gave him the third-grade curriculum as well and he was double promoted. He graduated as valedictorian from Grand Prairie High School in 1955 and attended Rice University in Houston, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Physics in 1959. While completing his undergraduate degree he developed a lifelong love for handball and racquetball. He continued his education at Rice University receiving a Master of Arts in 1961 and a Ph.D. in 1964, both in Physics. His graduate advisor once told him that if he hadn’t played so (explicative) much handball he could have graduated a semester earlier.

Upon finishing his dissertation, he continued his educational pursuits completing a one-year postdoctoral position at the University of Basel, Basel Switzerland and a two-year postdoctoral position at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. In 1967 he accepted a position at Texas A&M University in College Station, teaching Physics from 1967-1971. He then moved to the recently built TAMU Cyclotron Institute where he spent his career as a research scientist before retiring in 1997. He came out of retirement in 2000-2001 to teach Physics once again at Texas A&M University. He retired for the second time but didn’t stay retired long, returning to teaching Physics at Blinn College from 2006 until the fall of 2024. He loved teaching and was always trying to improve upon ways to help students learn.

Jeff was extremely social and was nearly always in a good mood. He enjoyed coffee with friends, playing cards, crossword puzzles, reading, science fiction, carousing in North Gate and attending Aggie football games. He ran a couple of local bars/businesses over the years, was a member of the Sea Aggie Krewe of Thalasar in Galveston and served for many decades on the Wolf Pen Creek HOA Board in College Station. His love of handball and racquetball continued throughout his life, playing 8-12 times a week. When his knees eventually wore out he started going to the weight room at the gym and at one point he had been to the gym over 1,000 days in a row.

In January he married Dwight Bohlmeyer, his life partner of 38 years. In addition to his spouse, he is survived by his brother Reuben (Joan) Bronson, nephews James R. Bronson II and Richard Bronson, all of Grand Prairie. Other survivors include his in-laws David (Teresa) Bohlmeyer, Becky Bohlmeyer, Gaye (Tim) Salisbury, and Dan Bohlmeyer of mid-Missouri plus nieces and nephews throughout the United States.

A celebratory coffee and breakfast will be held on Saturday, December 6th from 9:30-Noon at the Southwood Community Center located in Bachmann Park in College Station.

Memorial donations in Jeff’s honor can be made to the Texas A&M Handball Club, KAMU Public Broadcasting or the charity of your choice.