Peter Michael Woiceshyn passed away on Tuesday, October 1, 2019 in Burbank, CA at the age of 87 from complications due to advanced prostate cancer. He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Joan (Dziadula) Woiceshyn, his daughter Tanya Joanne Oldson (Jeremy), and the many friends and family members he so dearly loved. Peter was born near Windsor, Ontario, Canada in 1932 and grew up in the Niagara Falls area, where he graduated from Thorold Secondary School in 1951. After attending Queens & McMaster Universities and the University of Toronto, he worked for A.V. Roe Canada on the CF-105 Avro Arrow aircraft until that program was cancelled in 1959 and he was recruited by and worked for a number of American aerospace companies including Rohr Corporation, Weber Aircraft, Lockheed Corp., and TRW Systems. He proudly became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1965, and settled in Burbank where he met his wife Joan and later raised their daughter Tanya.
In 1962, Peter worked as the Escape Systems Design Engineer for NASA’s Gemini spacecraft project, interacting directly with many of the astronauts and flight crew. After earning a Masters Degree in Planetary and Space Physics at UCLA, Peter enjoyed a long career with the Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, and his work was internationally published and resulted in overseas collaboration with various institutes in Europe and the Middle East. After retiring from JPL in 2004, Peter returned to his love of photography and won top awards in several local photography contests, finding a way to express his deep love for people, animals, and nature through his unique artistic creations. He was loved by so many and will be greatly missed. His family extends a heartfelt thanks to the numerous caregivers and medical personnel whose kindness and generosity provided much comfort.
Viewing and Reception from 4:00-8:00pm (with prayers at 6:30pm) on Thursday, October 10 at Valley Funeral Home in Burbank, CA. Funeral Mass at 12:30pm on Friday, October 11 at St. Finbar Catholic Church in Burbank, with burial to follow at Forest Lawn Cemetery, Hollywood Hills. A “Celebration of Life” memorial service will be held on Saturday, November 16 at 4:00pm, at St. David’s Church in Burbank. For legacy information and condolences please visit www.valleyfuneralhomeburbank.com.
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