Born on May 15, 1934, Orest was the son of Julius and Olga Engelbrecht. He immigrated to the United States from Germany in 1952 and settled in Geneva, NY. Orest graduated from Geneva High School in 1953 before serving in the United States Army in 1957. He later earned his Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology in 1961.
Orest retired as a Senior Engineering Specialist at Rockwell International in 1998. His career in engineering included previous work at United Technologies Corporation, PerkinElmer Corporation, Bausch + Lomb, and Kodak. Some of his top achievements included his patents awarded for wafer handling systems, as well as his dedicated work on the Hubble Space Telescope and the SR-71 Spy Plane.
Orest had a deep love for the outdoors. He was an avid hiker and a skilled sailor, who explored incredible places from Moab to Switzerland. Orest was a member of the Appalachian Mountain Club and regularly volunteered at the Weir Farm National Historic Site in Wilton, CT. Additionally, he spent time volunteering at the Brookfield Volunteer Fire Department and became a certified Emergency Medical Technician in 2004. Orest also had a special appreciation for American history and the arts. When he did not have a book in hand, he was listening to classical music, watching a film, or going out to see a performance. Above all else, Orest loved spending time with his family and friends. He will be dearly missed and forever in our hearts.
Orest is survived by his daughter, Doris Murphy of Gibsonville, NC, his son, Steven Engelbrecht, and wife, Christine, of Danbury, CT. In addition, Orest leaves behind his beloved grandchildren, Monica and Jacob Engelbrecht of Danbury, CT. Orest is also survived by his sister, Lili Schmid of Leesburg, VA, his brother, Horst Engelbrecht, wife, Ellen, of Canandaigua, NY, along with several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be private and will take place at the direction of the family.
Contributions in Orest’s memory can be made to Hospice Care at RVNA Health, 27 Governor Street, Ridgefield, CT, 06877.
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