Obituary of Edward Alexander Nowatzki

Edward Alexander Nowatzki On the morning of May 4, 2015, Edward Alexander Nowatzki passed away peacefully at Santa Catalina Villas in Tucson, Arizona after a three month long battle with cancer. Ed was 79 years old. Ed Nowatzki was born in the Bronx, New York on February 23, 1936. He was the second child, and only son, of his Polish immigrant parents, Marianna and Frank Nowatzki. While growing up, he and his family attended Blessed Sacrament Church where Ed also went to school and served as an altar boy for several years. After studying at Cathedral Preparatory High School and Cathedral College in New York, Ed went on to Manhattan College where he met his wife of 50 plus years, Patricia Ann Nowatzki. They married in 1962 and journeyed to Tucson, Arizona where Ed went on to obtain his graduate degree and PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Arizona. Ed made significant contributions to the Civil Engineering programs at both the UofA and Cal Poly State University, while remaining abreast of current trends through simultaneous service as a private sector consultant. Ed touched the careers and lives of literally thousands of students and practitioners. Along the way, he held many positions and achieved many awards including Civil Engineer of the Year in 1998 from the ASCE Southern Branch as well as State of Arizona Engineer of the Year in 2007 from the Arizona Society of Professional Engineers. Ed is survived by his wife, Patricia Nowatzki; his sister, Rita Nowatzki, SC and his children, Christopher (Amy), Eileen, Thomas and Joseph (Susan) and grandchildren, Taylor and Tanner. A Wake will be held at ADAIR FUNERAL HOMES, Avalon Chapel, 8090 N. Northern Ave. in Tucson on Friday, May 8, 2015 from 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. with the Holy Rosary recited at 5:00 p.m. Cemetery Services will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 9, 2015 at Holy Hope Cemetery, 3555 N. Oracle Rd. in Tucson. Mass will follow at 4:00 p.m. at Holy Family Church, 338 W. University Blvd. in Tucson. Celebrate Ed's life with us afterwards at BJ's Restaurant at 4270 N. Oracle Rd. in Tucson anytime between 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent on behalf of Edward to the St. Vincent De Paul Society, 820 S. 6th Ave., Tucson, AZ 85701 and/or to the Neuro-Oncology Fund, in memory of Charlie James Savarese, at Children's Hospital of Chicago, 225 E. Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL 60611.