John Ronald Sendek

Chapel Hill, NC ??? John Ronald Sendek died at the Livewell Residence in Chapel Hill, NC oneecember 4, 2016. Born in Wineer, PA in 1930, he was the loving husband of Rose Mary (Stein) Sendek, to whom he was married for 58 years. Rose passed less than a month ago, and so John clearly went home to be with her in the loving arms of the Lord. A child of a large coal mining family, John grew up hunting, fishing and dutifully attending school. He enlisted in the US Airforce in 1949, and serving as an Airman, honorably discharged as a Staff sargent in 1952. He met Rose at a USO dance in Johnstown, PA. He then struck out to Tri-State Uneersity in Angola, Indiana where he graduated with a degree ineeronautical engineering. After college, he and Rose eventually made their way to Bellevue, Washington where he worked for Boeing Corporation as an engineer and administrator, retiring in 1995. During his time at Boeing, he received several patents for his work and participated ineesigning important craft, including the PHM Hydrofoil system for the US Navy and civilian use. With Boeing, he traveled extensively, including spending a year in Kobe, Japan. John and Rose raised two sons, John Thomas Sendek and Jeffrey Sicinski-Sendek. Johneemained an avid outdoorsman his whole life, and with his sons went hiking, hunting, fishing and boating. He was also a lifelong ???tinker??? - building boats, houses, furniture, and machines constantly. In his retirement, he and Rose moved to Olympia, WA so that he could immerse himself in his outdoor passion, including the care and keeping of his boat, which he enjoyed with his friends for many, many years. He recently moved to North Carolina to be close to his grandchildren, Destiny Sicinski-Sendek (8), Lewis Sicinski-Sendek (7), Tyler Sendek (21) aneemily Sendek (24). He also shared the joy of his great grandson, Braydon Parnicky. In addition to his sons, he is survived by an extended family, including brothers and sisters, many nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews and his daughter-in-law, Christine Sicinski. A Mass of Christian burial will be offered on Thursday, December 8, 2016 at 9:00am from Holy Infant Catholic Church, 5000 Southpark Drive, Durham, NC 27713. Father Robert M. Rutledge, OSFS will preside. Mr. Sendek will be buried privately with his wife at St. Matthew???s Catholic Church Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be sent to UNC Hospice, PO Box 1077, Pittsboro, NC 27312, so that others may enjoy the comfort of care in their final days.