Clyde Tish Bethea

Clyde Tish Bethea, long-time beloved resident of Franklin Township, NJ entered eternal rest on Thursday, June 5, 2025 at the age of 76. Clyde was born on June 23, 1948 to Tish Bethea and Muriel Wyatt in Brooklyn, NY. Clyde, the eldest of eight siblings was predeceased by his father, Tish Bethea, mother, Muriel Wyatt, brothers, Edward Bethea, Martin Bethea and Johnnie Bethea and sister, Robyn Dow.

In 1970, Clyde T. Bethea (a.k.a. C.G. Bethea) earned an Associate of Applied Science, Electrical Engineering & Technology Degree from New York Technical College. He was recruited by the Research Division of AT&T Bell Laboratories in Murray Hill, NJ, where his research career spanned over 35 years. He led a very distinguished career as a scientist, laser physicist, and electrical engineer in the Physics Research Department at Murray Hill. Throughout his Bell Labs career, Clyde received extensive training in Advanced Mathematics, Quantum Device Physics, Reliability Physics and Advanced Optical Systems.

After retiring from Bell Labs, Clyde continued his extraordinary physics research work as Executive VP of family-owned Quantum Technology Consultants, Inc. (QTI). Under QTI, he developed new ideas and solutions for government agencies (e.g., Picatinny Arsenal Warfighters Group) and medical applications (e.g., techniques for non-invasive early detection of cancer tumors).

Clyde was awarded over 30 domestic patents (over 100 worldwide) and had over 180 authored/co-authored peer-reviewed publications in the field of lasers, imaging, and quantum electronics. Clyde received Best Paper Award in 1988 from IEEE for his work on Quantum Well Photodetector (QWIP) detectors and was awarded the Black Engineer of the Year Award in 1989 for Outstanding and Innovative Technical Contributions. In 2001, he was inducted into the Space Technology Hall of Fame (sponsored by NASA and the U.S. military) for his invention of the QWIP camera. Throughout his career, Clyde mentored and trained many students in Science and Engineering from grade school to PhD postgraduates.

Clyde leaves to cherish his memory, his wife, Cheryl Bethea, daughters, Collette Bethea and Jada Bethea, brothers, Alvin McClean and Calvin Bethea, sister, Tammy Bethea, grandson, Khalid Bethea, granddaughter, Madison Hudson, great grandson, Prince Henry, many nieces, nephews and a host of friends.

A memorial service will be held to honor the life and legacy of Clyde. The service will take place at the Bell Labs Holmdel Complex located at 101 Crawfords Corner Road, Holmdel, NJ 07733, on July 12, 2025 at 11:00 AM. This homegoing service will be a fitting tribute to a man who dedicated his professional life to the pioneering work at Bell Labs. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to support a scholarship fund that will be created in Clyde's honor celebrating his legacy, excellence, genius, and generosity. Please contact TheClydeBetheaFund@gmail.com for information on how to make your donations. Clyde will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him in the community and beyond including those at Bell Labs.