Richard T. Smokowski

Richard T. Smokowski
of Lackawanna, at the age of 83 on February 14, 2018.
Loving Husband of 58 years of Ruth M. (nee Nicaise) Smokowski.  Dearest Father of Mary Beth (Michael) McDaniel, Frances (Ernest), John (Ann Marie), Paul (Martica), James, Angela (John) Horvath and Grace McKenzie.
Dearest Grandfather of 12 grandchildren.  Visitation Friday (Feb. 23rd) from 3-7 p.m. at NORMAN E. GANNON & SONS, Inc. FUNERAL HOME, 1075 Ridge Rd.; Lackawanna.  Friends are invited to join the family for The Mass of Christian Burial at Our Lady of Victory Basilica Saturday (Feb. 24th) at 10:30 a.m.  Burial to follow at Holy Cross Cemetery.  Mr. Smokowski was a Canisius College graduate with a BS in Chemistry and an MBA in Business Administration.  He mentored adolescence in the Junior Achievement.  He was in the first graduating class of ROTC at Canisius College and served in the U.S. Army as a Lieutenant for 2 years active duty and 8 years in the reserves.  His career in Nuclear Physics led him to be a founder of a successful business in Health Physics and Radiation Safety.  He was a devout member of the Holy Name Society of Our Lady of Victory and throughout his life was an avid fisherman.

Richard was proud of the following life experiences:

Richard’s Polish language skills enabled him to serve his country as a translator during the the Cold War.

RTS wrote a book on how to safely run a nuclear power plant. Richard had a security clearance to run the Nuclear Fuel Services power plant in West Valley, NY. He was personally acquainted with J Paul Getty through NFS.

During the 1970’s, he trained with the Buffalo police department’s SWAT team and studied counter-terrorism.

He was the point person for entertaining international executives to disseminate knowledge about nuclear fuel services.

Richard led a humanitarian visit to Ukraine and established the first two women’s health clinics with mammography rooms in Kiev and L’vuv.

He attended mass in Rome celebrated by Pope John Paul II on 9/12/2001 to honor the victims of 9/11.

He was on a ship near Mount St. Helen’s when the volcano erupted and brought back volcanic ash as a souvenir.

To maintain his certification in health safety, he attended summer classes at Harvard.

He completed the Dale Carnegie Business Certification with top honors, being awarded the Continuous Outstanding Performance Award.

Richard was proud of putting all 7 of his children through graduate school, earning Master’s and doctorate degrees.

Richard’s business, Milligray and Assoc. LTD, served the western half of New York State. By making sure that x-ray equipment did not leak radiation, he safeguarded countless lives from radiation poisoning.

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