Obituary: Richard E. Pawel

Richard E. Pawel, 82, of Oak Ridge, died peacefully in his sleep on January 2 at Briarcliff Health Care Center.

He was born to George and Thelma Pawel in upstate New York in March 1932 and, after short stays in New York and North Carolina, grew up in Norris where he graduated from High School in 1948.

He went on to graduate from the University of Tennessee with a PhD in Metallurgical Engineering in 1956 at the age of 24, which for a time placed him as the youngest engineering student from UT to receive the PhD degree. While in graduate school at UT, in 1955, he married the former Teresa Gravette and set in motion almost 60 years of joyful companionship.

Following his graduation, he served two years at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base until leaving as a Captain in 1959. Immediately after his Air Force service, he was employed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory until his retirement in early 1995. While at ORNL, he enjoyed working extensively in several areas, including high temperature oxidation of a variety of metals, assessments associated with the power source containment for the Pioneer 10 spacecraft, technical development of power reactor safety systems—including extensive involvement with the Congressional hearings associated with the Three Mile Island accident—and the Advanced Neutron Source project.

Following his retirement, he cherished gardening and travel time with his family, and enjoyed being very involved in the activities of his grandchildren, including all sorts of sports and games, music recitals, band performances, and generally spoiling them to his liking.

He was predeceased by his parents and his brother (Morton Pawel).

He is survived by his wife, Teresa, his son Steven (Michelle) and daughter Janet Robertson (Lee), and grandchildren AJ and Greg Pawel, and Curtis and Nolan Robertson, all of Oak Ridge. He is also survived by nephew David Pawel (Mary) and sister-in-law Janette Arenander of Centennial, CO, and a cousin Silas Halperin (Peg) of Syracuse, NY.

The family had a memorial service at The United Church—Chapel-on-the-Hill in Oak Ridge on Thursday, January 8, at 4:30 p.m., with receiving of friends immediately following in the Fellowship Hall.

In lieu of flowers, the family requested donations to the general fund of the United Church.

Weatherford Mortuary was in charge of the arrangements and has an online guest book at www.weatherfordmortuary.com.