Ronald P. Radlinski of Waterford passed away on May 31, 2012. He was born December 1, 1942 in Olean, New York and died of pancreatic cancer. He is survived by Sara, his wife of 38 years, brother Edwin William Radlinski and wife Ronni Lodato, brother James Radlinski and wife Susan, brother Paul Radlinski and wife Lisa, sister Judith Devine and husband Paul, sister-in-law Catherine Radlinski, sister-in-law JoAnn Hunting, stepmother Evelyn Radlinski, several caring aunts and uncles, and many wonderful nieces and nephews. Ron’s family has been a source of loving support during his battle with cancer. He was preceded in death by his parents Leonard and Stella Radlinski, a brother Edward Robert, and a sister Patricia Ann.
Ron attended secondary school in Port Allegany, PA located in the foothills of the Alleghany Mountains where he developed lifetime relationships with many of his classmates. Their gatherings at reunions in Pennsylvania and Florida plus their support during his illness were very special to both Ron and Sara. Ron received a B.S. degree in physics from Penn State and a Ph.D. in particle physics from Iowa State. It was in Iowa that he met his lifetime love, Sara, and her caring family.
Dr. Radlinski was a member of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering, a Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America, a recipient of the Decibel Award and Sonar Bow Award from NUWC and the NAVSEA Medallion Award. At NUWC, he served as a Division Head in sonar engineering and environmental acoustics while he conducted research in structural acoustics and in target physics. During his approximately 10 years working for the federal government in the Washington D.C. area, he served at the Pentagon, at NAVSEA and at the Office of Naval Research. After retiring from the federal government in 2000, he worked for the University of Washington, BBN Technologies, and Applied Physical Sciences primarily in imaging technology which he had initiated at ONR. Ron was so appreciative of the support and friendships of his longtime professional colleagues.
The extended stay in the DC area allowed Ron to immerse himself in the battlefield tactics that were employed at the sites of Civil War engagements. Sara and Ron also enjoyed traveling to the scenic mountainous landscapes of the western parts of the Mid-Atlantic States and the peaceful villages along the Eastern Shore of Maryland. They often followed the foliage seasons from Vermont through to North Carolina. Ron enjoyed bicycling, hiking, skiing and taking long walks throughout the shoreline towns of Southeastern Connecticut. Sara and Ron’s annual summertime vacations in Aspen and Summit County in Colorado provided them both with an ideal mix of intellectual stimulation and physical exercise. Ron felt blessed that he was able to travel extensively to Europe and to the National Parks in the Western States. He enjoyed the triumphs of UConn college sports and also those of the Boston area professional teams.
In recent years, Ron and Sara found great joy in developing friendships with Eastern European students working at the Mystic Aquarium and the Mystic Seaport for the summer. During a trip to Kiev, Moscow, and St. Petersburg, Russia several of these students were their travel companions. Sara and Ron also have had the rewarding experience of being the host family for international students at Connecticut College, where Sara spent most of her professional career. These students have provided for wonderful discussions of various cultures and the development of special relationships.
The family would like to thank the following medical personnel for the caring and compassionate care given to Ron: Dr. Richard Hellman, Dr. Ben Newton, and Dr. Melvin Yoselevsky in New London, Dr. Wolfram Goessling at Dana Farber in Boston, Dr. Dung Le at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, their nurses, and the medical support staff.
A Celebration of Life Event will be held in the coming weeks for family and friends. Interment will be private.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Ron’s memory can be made to the Slavic Studies Department at Connecticut College, 270 Mohegan Avenue, New London CT 06320, c/o Dr. Andrea Lanoux.
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