Ernest Koenigsberg, a Haas School of Business professor emeritus described as a dedicated teacher and family man, died of heart failure at his San Francisco home on April 20. He was 86.

Koenigsberg joined the Haas School as a lecturer in 1963 after working in various industries including plywood production, mining, shipping and warehousing. He was promoted from senior lecturer to professor in 1981. He retired in 1991.

Koenigsberg was an expert at operations research, a discipline developed during World War II that applies mathematical modeling to solve problems in business and industry, said Susan Koenigsberg, his wife of 54 years.

"He was very enthusiastic of the subject and I think he passed a lot of that enthusiasm on to his students," she said. "He used to say that his job was not to give good answers, but to teach someone how to ask good questions."

Koenigsberg distinguished himself by bringing his own work experience and his network of industry contacts into the classroom, assigning class projects in which students worked with Bay Area companies, said Andrew Shogan, Haas faculty member and former associate Haas dean.

"Ernie was great at helping the students find the company and at supervising the project," Shogan said. "Every time you walked by Ernie's office, there was always a group of students in there talking with him."

One of Koenigsberg's most memorable characteristics was his warm personality, said Raymond Miles, former Haas School dean and colleague.

"He was a very popular teacher, an engaging person, very personable, with a big smile and a ready wit," Miles said.

Koenigsberg's passion for learning also earned him a reputation for having an extensive knowledge base that went beyond the theories of operations research, Shogan said.

"He could talk to you about football and he could talk to you about physics and everything in between," he said. "He would have been a great Jeopardy contestant­."

Koenigsberg is survived by his wife Susan, his daughter Joanna, his son Martin and his four grandchildren.

"He was a wonderful father and grandfather," Susan Koenigsberg said. "We had an exceedingly happy marriage, and everything that goes with that has been cut off."

Tags: HAAS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS