Santa Rosa

Iain MacDonald Jamieson, 86, of Santa Rosa, California passed away on August 19th, 2026 in his home, with family and lifelong friends.

Iain was born onthe 13th of July 1940 in Glasgow, Scotland, the son of AndrewJamieson and Marion Wilson.

At the age of ten he moved to England. After high school he attended the University of Glasgow but left before receiving his degree to work in the United States in 1964. He worked at Syntex where he discovered and developed two successful pharmaceutical products, one of which was eventually marketed as the painkiller Aleve. Hereturned to Glasgow University to finish his degree and returned to the US where he met his future spouse Velma Lodi.

Velma and Iain married in 1969 and moved to Southern California where Iain attended UC Riverside, earning a Masters in Geology and a PhD in Applied Geophysics. The field work for his PhD was conducted in the Geysers of Northern California so they settled in Santa Rosa. In 1978 their only child Kevin was born, and after abrief two year move to Denver, Colorado they returned to Santa Rosa. Velma passed from cancer in 1993. He retired from Dow Pharmaceuticals in 2006 and became busier than ever before, volunteering as a docent at Bouverie Preserve, practicing Qigong, English country dancing, Scottish country dancing, square dancing, travelling to Mexico, Japan, Australia, and Scotland and returning to his hobby of wood-turning. He served as librarian for the Wine Country Woodturners club and filled the garage with wood and sawdust. In the last months of his life he was able to pass his hobby down to his son Kevin and granddaughter Beatrice.

Preceding Iain in death are his wife Velma, his cousin Peter, and his brother-in-laws Gary Lodi and Reeves Lodi, Gary's wife Nicky, nephew Dino, and nieces Brandy and Katie. He is survied by his son Kevin, daughter in law Dove'x, granddaughter Beatrice, and his in laws and a great number of friends.

A Celebration of Life is scheduled for SundaySeptember 20th at Eggen and Lance Funeral Home on Mendocino Ave at 11am.