John Skalyo Jr.

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Dr. John Skalyo, Jr. (June 11, 1935 – April 1, 2024), was a brilliant nuclear physicist, modest man and dedicated son, brother, husband, father and grandfather.  He passed due to complications from pneumonia.  John was born in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania to John Skalyo (1909 – 1998) and Anne Kolinski (1913 – 2010).  He was the oldest of four sons, brother to Wallace, Russell and Paul (1945 – 2008).  John earned a full caddy scholarship from St. Claire Country Club allowing him to attend Carnegie Institute of Technology (n.k.a. Carnegie Mellon University) where he obtained a degree in Mechanical Engineering.  Afterwards, he worked for Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan, in their research division for three years before returning to Carnegie Tech to pursue his PhD in Physics (1964).

It was during his second stint at Carnegie Tech when he asked a fellow physics classmate, Irwin Harris, to introduce him to Julia Ann Long, a Fine Arts major at Carnegie Tech (BFA 1961).  Many days John would drive Julia to or from school.  Julia thought her stop in Mt. Lebanon was close to where John lived, but the day John brought Julia to his home to meet his mother, she realized he drove a good 20 minutes out of his way to pick her up or drop her off.  They married on June 15, 1963.  The photo of John and Julia was taken by Irwin Harris in the Fall of 1963 in Schenley Park.

John and Julia traveled to Los Alamos, New Mexico, where they had the first of their three daughters, Anne.  In 1967, they left Los Alamos Laboratory so John could pursue a career at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), on Long Island.  Teresa arrived later that year, in the Fall, and Laura made their family complete one day after his 34^th birthday in 1969.  BNL sent him and his young family to Julich, Germany, for one year of work and travel before returning to Long Island.  John eventually headed BNL’s International Safeguards Project Office which collaborated with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).  John was always discreet and modest and any awards or citations were never ostentatiously displayed in the house.

Julia considered John her walking encyclopedia.  He retained everything.  John truly had a beautiful mind.  He never made others feel intellectually inferior nor did he boast his capabilities.   John always encouraged Julia to pursue artistic endeavors, including the ceramics and painting classes she enjoyed.

John dedicated time to his children and grandchildren.  For years he traveled monthly upstate to visit his grandchildren, Min and Joon, until he could no longer handle the trip.  He and Julia attended many dance recitals, soccer games, tennis matches and volleyball games for Sophie and Jacob.

John loved gardening, especially his roses.  He enjoyed most of all, the birds he fed daily.  Even when John could no longer see them, he continued to feed them so he could hear the birds sing their sweet songs.

John is survived by his beloved wife Julia Ann, his daughters Anne M. Danziger (Scott), Teresa and Laura Skalyo, his grandchildren Dong-Min and Dong-Joon Jhang, Sophie and Jacob Danziger, and his brothers Wallace (Bonnie) and Russell (Roanne).