John Francis Kamody

He leaves his beloved wife, Patricia (Woodruff) Kamody; his daughter, Lori Jean (Kamody) Bruce; stepdaughter Kathy Woodruff; sons John Steven Kamody and Brian Adam Kamody; and stepson Mel Woodruff.

John also leaves two beautiful grandchildren, Samantha and Kelcey Bruce, as well as eight wonderful step grandchildren, Douglas, Niya, Alec, Adair and Gleniya, Maranda and husband Steven Bibb, Britney, and Jacob. He will also be dearly missed by his sister, Margie and husband Merdie, of Freeport PA; his three brothers Dennis, Mark, and Bob Kamody, and many nieces and nephews. John was predeceased by his parents and sister Norma.

John was the first of five siblings, born 40 miles outside Pittsburgh in Ford City, PA and raised in nearby Slate Lick, PA, the son of John Kamody and Francis (Lorence) Kamody.

With a very humble upbringing, John had clear direction and strong ambition from the time he was a young boy. Even before adolescence, he regularly worked at nearby farms, seeking every “odd job” opportunity he possibly could to save money for college and fulfill his dream of becoming a chemical engineer. After graduating class valedictorian from Freeport High School in 1964, and received a PPG Scholarship, he attended Carnegie Institute of Tech, graduating in 1968 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering. John was recruited and hired immediately upon graduation by Koppers Company in Pittsburgh and obtained a Master of Science Degree from Carnegie Mellon University. He continued his education and passed his PHD Qualifying Exam. John worked continuously for Koppers from 1968 onward and through a subsequent purchase of their Polyester Division by Reichhold Chemicals in 1989. After retiring from RCHH, he accepted a position with an Italian firm, GP Chemical. He was later forced into a young retirement in 2003, due to an earlier stroke. Recovery was possible and he did light consulting for RCHH. John not only reached his childhood goal, he took it to unimaginable heights with great foresight. He impacted the field of chemical engineering in immeasurable ways, introducing and developing chemical processes with a unique school of thought that was well ahead of its time. His areas of expertise ranged from polyester resins, thermoplastics and critical construction activities, to anti-corrosive metal treatments and contribution to the development of color toners. Envisioning future needs for alternative energy sources, John’s ground breaking work with gasification of coal and other carbonaceous materials in the late 1979’s and early 1980’s helped to define the landscape of the energy sector as it exists today. In conjunction, he developed additives for fossil fuels to increase octane levels. These additives helped to sustain adequate supply and meet the efficiency demands of engines with higher compression ratios. This is why today’s automobiles can travel at higher speeds with less fuel consumption. John holds multiple patents for the aforementioned, as well as additional innovations for which detailed records can be easily accessed online. This expertise of knowledge, took John to numerous countries around the globe, where his technical advice was invaluable.

John was a voracious reader who constantly strived to take in new information and improve processes. One would be remiss not to include a fair amount of detail and a few technical terms in summarizing a 35 year career for which he was so passionate. Despite the effort to accomplish that above, it must be emphasized, John most cherished his wife, Patricia, who he adored; and the precious time he spent in later years with his children and grandchildren- All of which now seems way too short. If he had the chance to add to this I am certain that he would begin with a few words about them as they were clearly his greatest source of pride, joy and happiness. He was a genuine, honest, accommodating and caring man and their needs were always far more important to him than his own. John loved Tuesday’s at Eva Perry Library, where he volunteered, Jeopardy, Prairie home companion, English mystery novels, movies and his ‘knock-out’ roses. This bright light named John will forever be remembered and missed by all his family and friends.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, October 1st, 2011 at the Chapel of Brown Wynne Funeral Home, 200 SE Maynard Road, Cary NC 27511. Flowers accepted or donations can be made to the Hospice of Wake County. Special thanks to the doctors and nurses of Wake Medical Center Cary, for their loving support and care shown to John.

Condolences and special memories can be shared at www.brownwynne.com. Arrangements under the direction of Brown-Wynne Funeral Home, Cary, NC.