John A. Kostrzewa

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution announces with great sorrow the death April 3, 2000 of retiree John A. Kostrzewa at the Aleda E. Lutz Veterans Administration Medical Center in Saginaw, Michigan. He was 93.

John “Skee” Kostrzewa was born in Punxsutawney, PA, on January 25, 1907. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1925 to 1939, and during World War II served as an engineer in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1941 to 1955. After his retirement from the Coast Guard John joined the Institution staff, working as first assistant engineer aboard Research Vessel Crawford from 1956 to 1964. He transferred to Administration in 1964 to work as a guard in Security, where he remained until his retirement from WHOI in February 1971. He lived in Falmouth for many years following his retirement, returning to Saginaw in 1994.

He is survived by a sister, Mary Macuga, of Detroit, MI; two half brothers, Roman Kostrzewa of Saginaw, MI, and Thadeus Kostrzewa of Yuma, AZ; a half sister, Celia Kostrzewa, of Saginaw, MI; and several nieces, nephews and cousins. Funeral services took place in Saginaw, with burial at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne, MA.