Paul J. Kacik

PAUL KACIK, 77 Paul Jan Kacik, age 77, of Fullerton, California, passed away on Friday, September 14, 2012, surrounded by his family, following a courageous battle with Leukemia. Paul was born on January 5, 1935, in Monessen, Pennsylvania, to Paul and Katherine Kacik. He attended Monessen High School, graduating in 1952, and played on the varsity football, basketball, baseball and volleyball teams. He was also active in the school band. Paul achieved a football scholarship to the University of Pittsburgh where he graduated in 1956 with a Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering. Throughout college Paul worked as a student engineer at Pittsburg Steel Company while also playing on the University's football team. Upon graduating, he obtained a position with General Electric in Syracuse, NY. Eight months later, Paul accepted an overseas engineering project in Turkey, installing and maintaining radar equipment to monitor Soviet Union air activities. This began a professional career that included spending 21 years abroad and visiting 52 countries. Paul lived in Turkey several times between 1957 and 1966, during which time he also pursued a business venture, building a factory to clean and export lentils and other grains. Also during this time he met his wife, Josephine Azzopardi, whom he married in 1964 in Istanbul, Turkey. In 1966 he and Josephine returned to the United States, living in Long Island, NY, Oklahoma City, Boston and eventually settling in the Southern California city of Fullerton, where Paul had a successful career at Hughes Aircraft Company, retiring in 1999. In retirement, he continued to work as an engineering consultant for Raytheon, and he and Josephine enjoyed several assignments in Switzerland. Paul and Josephine would regularly return to Monessen to visit family and friends and attend reunion events. Paul spent eight months penning an autobiography and assembling it by hand. The 383-page book is a journal that features photographs from his many excursions and testimony to how travel enhanced his life. It was dedicated to his children and grandchildren, who are extremely grateful to have it. Paul is survived by his loving wife of 48 years, Josephine, his mother Katherine Kacik of Monessen, PA, his daughter Anita Bardsley of Orinda, CA, his son Paul E. Kacik of Newport Beach, CA, his sister Sonja Ybry of Ijamsville, MD, his brother Charles Kacik of New Haven, CT, and his three adoring grandchildren. He is further survived by his many loving nieces, cousins and extended family. He was preceded in death by his cherished father, Paul Kacik Senior. Paul was a warm and supportive son, husband, father, brother, grandfather and friend to all. He will be dearly missed. Funeral services will be held at 11:00am, Thursday, September 20, 2012 at McAulay and Wallace Funeral Home, 902 N. Harbor Blvd., Fullerton, California 92835. Burial will follow at Loma Vista Memorial Park in Fullerton. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (www.lls.org), 765 The City Drive South, Suite 260, Orange, California 92868, (714) 481-5600.