Eligius Anthony Wolicki

Alexandria, VA: Dr. Eligius A. Wolicki, 83, passed away February 18th, surrounded by family at his home after a long illness. He was courageous to the end. He was born in Buffalo, NY to Polish immigrants Katarzyna and Karol Wolicki in 1927, on the day Lindbergh left for Paris, May 10. He was the grandson of feudal serfs! The youngest of five children, he grew up during the Great Depression, helping with the family grocery business, and excelling in school. He attended Kensington public high school in Buffalo. He received a wartime accelerated magna cum laude B.S. in Physics from Canisius College, Buffalo, in 1946, at the age of 19, and a PhD in Nuclear Physics from the University of Notre Dame in 1950, at the age of 23. He worked at the University of Iowa under Dr. VanAllen, and then came to the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C. in 1952 where he worked until his first retirement in 1984 . He received a Meritorious Civilian Service award while serving as Acting Superintendent of the Nuclear Sciences Division in 1971. He authored and collaborated on numerous scientific articles, chaired international meetings, and developed several patents. His second career as a consultant saw him elected to fellowship in the American Physical Society and also the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. He was proudest of coining the term "single event upset" which concept was critical to the development of successful modern satellite communications. He left his scientific careers in 1995. After his second retirement, he devoted himself to playing piano, composing music, dabbling in philosophy, and continuing his world travels. Together with his beloved wife, Wilma, he traveled to six of the seven continents, 40 countries, and most of the states. Highlights included China after the Nixon détente, New Guinea, Australia, Turkey, Cambodia, Argentina, Peru, the Galapagos Islands, and Egypt. He was self-taught at the piano, which passion he passed on to his children and grandchildren, and at music composition. He sang at church, and with the Alexandria Harmonizers. He played ping-pong and tennis into his 80's, danced, and served as a volunteer role model of "can do" activities following double-hip replacements at the Inova Mount Vernon Hospital He enjoyed fellowship and service as a brother in the Knights of Columbus, Mount Vernon Council. He is preceded in death by his parents, two older siblings in infancy, and his brother, Edward, who died in WWII. He is survived by an older sister, Laura Bylebyl, of N. Tonawonda, NY, his wife of 56 years, Wilma Pitsenbarger Wolicki, four children, (Dr. Karol and Valerie Wolicki, Greensboro, NC; Dr. Ann and Marc Ascher, Lebanon, NJ; Stasia and Patrick Rhoads, and Stefanie and Scott Jarrell, all of Northern Virginia), and five grandchildren (Caitrin, Matthew, and Patrick Rhoads, Alexandria, VA, and Thaddeus and Kadja Wolicki, Greensboro, NC) Services are planned for St. Louis Catholic Church, Wednesay, 23 FEB at 11:00 AM. Special thanks and heartfelt appreciation to his loving home health care aids, Annie and Joyce, and to Capital Hospice for their assistance during his illness. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests donation to KOVAR to assist intellectually disabled children, c/o Knights of Columbus, 8592 Richmond Hwy., Alexandria, VA 22309.

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Eligius Anthony Wolicki

May 10, 1927 - February 18, 2011