SHREWSBURY, MA -- PADS Software founder Gene Marsh died Friday after a short illness. He was 84.

Harold Gene Marsh, for whom the Gene Marsh Award for Technical Innovation is named, launched PADS in 1985, one of four companies he founded. It was one of the first companies dedicated to developing printed circuit board design tools. (In 2000, PADS merged with Innoveda, then was sold shortly thereafter to Mentor Graphics.)

Marsh graduated from West Point in 1951, spent time in the Army, then worked for 18 years at Raytheon as an electrical engineer, where he managed the team responsible for developing radar systems for anti-ballistic missile shields.

He and his late wife, Gertrude, had three sons. He is survived by his wife Janice, and sons Michael and Patrick.

Funeral services will be held at 12 noon on May 12 at the Acton Funeral Home in Acton, MA. For details, click here.