Constantine Katsaros' Obituary
Constantine (Dean) Katsaros passed away on December 7th, 2024, at the age of 98. He was predeceased by his wife of 72 years, Bess, and survived by his daughter Constance (Michael), son James (Nikki) and two grandchildren, Dean and Eva. Dean was born on March 16, 1926, in Chicago, Illinois. He was raised by Greek immigrant parents in a close-knit family with three siblings, fostering a strong Community connection. His Father passed away when Dean was only 5 years old, and the four siblings developed a strong family bond and work ethic from their mother, Hriso. At a very young age, Dean worked as a delivery boy for a pharmacy to help support the family. He joined the Army in 1944, earning the rank of Lieutenant, and served in Okinawa for a year during WWII. After the war, Dean took advantage of the GI Bill to complete his education, earning a PhD in Organic Chemistry from Northwestern University.
In 1953, Dean began work as a Research Chemist at the Morton Chemical company in Woodstock, Illinois, where he successfully developed numerous agricultural products, co-authored six patents, and held various leadership positions. In 1969, he became Vice President, Research & Development, of the newly formed Nor-Am Chemical Company, a division of the German company Schering AG, which is now owned by Bayer. He remained with Schering AG until his retirement in 1990. During his work life, Dean was renowned for his creative approach to research, sharp attention to detail, and most importantly, a people-centered leadership style. He maintained his intense curiosity and love for technology after he retired, teaching classes to help Seniors learn to use the computer and serving as a volunteer for SCORE for several years.
Dean’s top priority, however, was always his extended family. He remained very close with his three siblings and their extended families, providing unconditional support to all. As a champion for Science and Technology, he gave guidance on education and career path decisions to his many nieces and nephews, or anyone seeking his guidance. In addition, Dean and Bess loved to travel and embarked on many international tours, often together with his sister-in-law Nora and her husband Jim, with whom they happily lived with in Tucson, Arizona in their final years.
The family would like to recognize the wonderful support and care he received from his three caregivers, Jlynne, Raquel and Vanessa, who all provided essential companionship in addition to attending to his health care needs.
Funeral services will be private. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations in his memory be directed to the National Math and Science Initiative at https://www.nms.org/.
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