1929
Mr.
2016
Mr. Richard Katucki
September 27, 1929 — May 17, 2016
Richard J. "Dick" Katucki, 86, of West Chester, Pennsylvania, an aerospace engineer, avid skier and traveler, died Tuesday, May 17 at the Copley Hospital in Morrisville, Vermont.
Richard Katucki was born in New York City on September 27, 1929, to Polish immigrants Malwina and Casimir Katucki. He grew up in Brooklyn with his parents
and brother George. He graduated from Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute in 1951 with a degree in Physics. Upon graduation, he began working for General Electric. Mr. Katucki married L. June Pepe in April 1951. In 1956, they settled in King of Prussia and raised four children. He lived in the Philadelphia area until he died. His wife June passed away in 1995. Mr. Katucki worked for many years at Valley Forge Space Center for GE. During his tenure there, he worked on the Nimbus and Landsat satellite programs. He was the Program General Manager for Landsat 4, a civilian earth imaging satellite launched in 1982. He also co-authored several scientific papers. In his mid-thirties, Mr. Katucki took up downhill skiing. He was a member of the Ski Patrol at Spring Mountain in the 1970s and taught all his children how to ski. One of his joys was family ski vacations to ski areas in the Western United States. He skied into his seventies and was a member of the Vertical Foot Club at the Jackson Hole ski area in Wyoming.
Mr. Katucki was proud of his Polish heritage. In his youth, he was an outstanding folk dancer. As an adult, he visited Poland many times to see his cousins. In the US, family celebrations always included singing "Sto lat", a traditional Polish song that expresses good wishes. As did his father, Mr. Katucki made his own wisniak, a polish liqueur made from cherries. A devout Catholic, one of his special memories was meeting Pope John Paul II at the Vatican.
On one of his trips to Poland, teaching English to schoolchildren through the Global Volunteers program, he met Jeanne Korns Clark. They married on May 24, 2003 and primarily resided at Hershey's Mill in West Chester, but also spent time in Old Lyme, Connecticut and at Ten Bends in Hyde Park, Vermont. Together, Jeanne and Richard traveled to many countries in the world and places in the United States. They enjoyed visiting with children and grandchildren from each other's prior marriages.
Richard Katucki is survived by his wife Jeanne, his four children: Rick (Patty), Christopher (Margaret), Joseph (Dawn) and Laura, and his grandson Thomas; also by Jeanne Clark Katucki's four children: Kathy Clark, Philip (Sue) Clark, Stephanie (Kevin) Flynn and Hilarie (Jeffrey) Moore and Jeanne's nine grandchildren, as well as his sisters-in-law Lee Niciforo, Helen Katucki, Betty Pepe and many nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his parents, wife June (1995), and his brother George (2015).
Richard Katucki was a beloved and loving husband, father, grandfather and uncle.
Relatives and friends are invited to his Visitation 6:00-8:00 P.M. Monday, May 23 and 9:00-10:15 A.M. Tuesday at THE DONOHUE FUNERAL HOME, 1627 West Chester Pike, West Chester, PA 19382, (610) 431-9000 followed by his Funeral Mass 11:00 A.M. Tuesday at SS Peter & Paul Church, 1325 Boot Road, West Chester, PA 19380. Interment Calvary Cem.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to:
The Chris Katucki Fund
ALS Association
321 Norristown Rd, Suite 260
Ambler, PA 19002
Richard Katucki was born in New York City on September 27, 1929, to Polish immigrants Malwina and Casimir Katucki. He grew up in Brooklyn with his parents
and brother George. He graduated from Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute in 1951 with a degree in Physics. Upon graduation, he began working for General Electric. Mr. Katucki married L. June Pepe in April 1951. In 1956, they settled in King of Prussia and raised four children. He lived in the Philadelphia area until he died. His wife June passed away in 1995. Mr. Katucki worked for many years at Valley Forge Space Center for GE. During his tenure there, he worked on the Nimbus and Landsat satellite programs. He was the Program General Manager for Landsat 4, a civilian earth imaging satellite launched in 1982. He also co-authored several scientific papers. In his mid-thirties, Mr. Katucki took up downhill skiing. He was a member of the Ski Patrol at Spring Mountain in the 1970s and taught all his children how to ski. One of his joys was family ski vacations to ski areas in the Western United States. He skied into his seventies and was a member of the Vertical Foot Club at the Jackson Hole ski area in Wyoming.
Mr. Katucki was proud of his Polish heritage. In his youth, he was an outstanding folk dancer. As an adult, he visited Poland many times to see his cousins. In the US, family celebrations always included singing "Sto lat", a traditional Polish song that expresses good wishes. As did his father, Mr. Katucki made his own wisniak, a polish liqueur made from cherries. A devout Catholic, one of his special memories was meeting Pope John Paul II at the Vatican.
On one of his trips to Poland, teaching English to schoolchildren through the Global Volunteers program, he met Jeanne Korns Clark. They married on May 24, 2003 and primarily resided at Hershey's Mill in West Chester, but also spent time in Old Lyme, Connecticut and at Ten Bends in Hyde Park, Vermont. Together, Jeanne and Richard traveled to many countries in the world and places in the United States. They enjoyed visiting with children and grandchildren from each other's prior marriages.
Richard Katucki is survived by his wife Jeanne, his four children: Rick (Patty), Christopher (Margaret), Joseph (Dawn) and Laura, and his grandson Thomas; also by Jeanne Clark Katucki's four children: Kathy Clark, Philip (Sue) Clark, Stephanie (Kevin) Flynn and Hilarie (Jeffrey) Moore and Jeanne's nine grandchildren, as well as his sisters-in-law Lee Niciforo, Helen Katucki, Betty Pepe and many nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his parents, wife June (1995), and his brother George (2015).
Richard Katucki was a beloved and loving husband, father, grandfather and uncle.
Relatives and friends are invited to his Visitation 6:00-8:00 P.M. Monday, May 23 and 9:00-10:15 A.M. Tuesday at THE DONOHUE FUNERAL HOME, 1627 West Chester Pike, West Chester, PA 19382, (610) 431-9000 followed by his Funeral Mass 11:00 A.M. Tuesday at SS Peter & Paul Church, 1325 Boot Road, West Chester, PA 19380. Interment Calvary Cem.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to:
The Chris Katucki Fund
ALS Association
321 Norristown Rd, Suite 260
Ambler, PA 19002
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