SALEM - John Pecevich, 86, husband of Anastasia (Olechnowich) Pecevich, of Beverly, formerly of Salem, died Saturday, July 15, 2006 at Salem Hospital following a long illness.
Born in Salem, he was the son of the late Charles and Elizabeth (Pecevich) Pecevich. He was a graduate of Salem High School in 1937 and the Massachusetts Institute of technology in 1941.
A WWII veteran with over 38 years of military service, Mr. Pecevich served as a Captain in the Army Air Corps from 1941 to 1946, primarily in the South Pacific including the Philippines and New Guinea. He attended Cornell University as a member of the Army Intelligence Agency to study Russian languages. After the war, John joined the U.S. Air Force Reserves. He graduated from the U.S. Army Chemical School at Fort McClellan, Alabama in 1965, and graduated from the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama in 1966 and was promoted to the rank of Lt. Colonel. John wrote many case study scenarios for the Pentagon and the Joint Chiefs of Staff analyzing the Soviet nuclear threat during the Cold War. He retired as a Lt. Colonel in 1979 from the U.S. Air Force Reserve.
Mr. Pecevich spent his entire 40 year working career with one employer. He retired in 1984 as the Chief Project Engineer for W.R. Grace & Co. of Lexington. John traveled to South America, Europe and all across the United States supervising the construction of new manufacturing facilities.
He was a 50 year member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers; lifelong member of St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church in Salem where he sang in the choir, he was Treasurer of the Russian Aid Society in Salem, MA (The Russian Club); Member of the American Legion, The Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Reserve Officers Association of the United States.
He was an experienced sailor owning numerous boats navigating the waters off Cape Ann and Salem and was an avid Bridge player.
Besides his wife, with whom he shared 58 years of marriage, he is survived by two sons and a daughter-in-law, Dr. Mark Pecevich and Dr. Elaine Arata of Millersville, MD, Charles Pecevich of Beverly, one daughter and son-in-law, Christine & Larry Liberti of Peabody, 6 grandchildren, Eric, Ross & Justin Liberti of Peabody, Matthew and Stephen Pecevich of Millersville, MD, Allison Pecevich of Georgetown, a brother, Anthony Pecevich of Arroya Grande, CA, a sister, Claudia Safchuk of Peabody, and several nieces and nephews. He was the brother of the late Walter Pecevich and Helene Bamford.
His funeral service will be held Thursday, July 20, 2006 at 9 am from the Full-Spychalski Funeral Home, 84 Washington Square East, by Salem Common, Salem, followed by a service at 10 am at the St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church, Salem. Visiting hours are Wednesday, 4 to 8 pm with a Panikhida service at 7 PM. Relatives and friends respectfully invited. Burial will be in Highland Cemetery, Newburyport. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to the St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church Restoration Fund, 64 Forrester St., Salem, MA 01970. For on-line guestbook and directions, visit www.SalemFuneral.com.