Austin Francis McCormack Jr.

Engineer, entrepreneur, philanthropist and patriarch of a large Irish-American family, died on October 16, 2014 at the age of 90. He provided critical engineering expertise to a burgeoning electronic age with unique water ultra-purification techniques, laying the cornerstone for virtually every smart device available today. Austin faithfully and conscientiously served the Catholic educational community for over three decades, providing business judgment and encouragement, and inspiring his friends and associates to greater generosity. Under his stewardship and support, Austin’s children all graduated from college, several earning professional degrees, and each becoming a servant in their vocations and communities. His grandchildren are equally engaged in a passion for education and service. Austin was born on February 9, 1924 in Brooklyn, NY to Austin Francis McCormack and Irene Halligan McCormack, and lived in the Dallas area since 1961. Austin married June Ann Doyle in 1949. They had six children, 18 grandchildren and one great granddaughter. Austin was preceded in death by his wife June, and their son William. Austin attended Public School 208 in Brooklyn. He attended Brooklyn Preparatory School, a Catholic High School founded by the Jesuits, from 1937 to 1941. Austin was a member of the Brooklyn Prep Players, an editor of the school’s news publication and a varsity boxer. Austin attended the Stevens Institute of Technology (SIT) in Hoboken, NJ beginning in August1941, and took various jobs to pay tuition. Austin enlisted in the US Navy in October 1942, and was activated in July 1943 to study in SIT’s engineering officer candidate’s school. He became an assistant engine tester with Wright Aeronautical of Woodridge, NJ, and ran experimental tests on Wright’s R-3350 cyclone engine employed on the B-29 bomber. He was initiated into Delta Tau Delta National Social Fraternity and Pi Delta Epsilon Honorary Collegiate Journalism Fraternity. He graduated from SIT in February 1945 with a degree of Mechanical Engineer. He attended the US Naval V-12 Officers Training School at Princeton University in NJ, the US Naval Academy at Annapolis, MD, and the Officers Steam Engineering School, Naval Training Station, in Newport, RI. He was commissioned as an Ensign in August 1945. He served as Engineering Officer’s Assistant aboard the USS Vicksburg CL-86 stationed at Long Beach, CA through June 1946, and was then honorably discharged from active duty. He was awarded the American Area WWII Victory Medal. He served in the US Naval Reserve through 1947. Austin was employed by the Permutit Company of New York, NY, a supplier of industrial water treatment equipment, in September 1946. In July 1947 he was promoted to Assistant District Engineer and sent to Rochester NY to open an office to serve Eastman Kodak. It was at Kodak that Austin first implemented a unique method to remove problematic microscopic particles from industrial process water, a technology that was later employed by the semiconductor industry across the globe. In Rochester, Austin was introduced to June Ann Doyle. They discovered many common interests, including a love of dance, a joy that would last a lifetime. They were married in Pittsford, NY on June 25, 1949. They remained in Rochester, where 5 of their 6 children were born. In September 1958, Austin was called back to the NYC office, lived in Manhasset, and their sixth child was born. In 1961, Permutit appointed him District Engineer for Dallas, TX where he moved his family. He became a Registered Professional Engineer in Texas and Oklahoma. When asked by his employer to move to Los Angeles in 1964, Austin set up an independent agency instead, and established McCormack Equipment Company. He acquired several companies and consolidated them into McCormack Corporation, which became a premier supplier of ultrapure water systems to the semiconductor, defense and power generation industries. Texas Instruments, in particular, derived strategic advantage from Austin’s integrative engineering skills. During the course of the ensuing decades, Austin was issued three patents and published innumerable technical papers. Austin sold his company in 1989 and retired in 1992. In collaboration with his son Austin III, Austin recently published several retrospective papers detailing his pioneering tactics for Ultrapure Water Magazine. Austin was a selfless and prolific lifetime fundraiser, manager and counselor for private Catholic education, a faithful passion he pursued undeterred by advancing years and medical challenges. His achievements and recognitions in this arena are myriad. He served for over 32 years on the Management Committees and Board of Trustees at St. Bernard’s, Bishop Lynch, Bishop Dunne and Jesuit, including as President. He co-founded, served and became President and Trustee of the Jesuit Foundation. His most fulfilling act of faith was the resurgence of St. Anthony School in South Dallas in 1989, and the subsequent establishment and funding of the Next Generation Campaign, which prevented the shuttering of an additional seven inner city Catholic schools. His most notable awards include The Bishop Thomas Tschoepe Award for dedicated service in Catholic education in 1978, the Jesuit Man of the Year award in 1985, and the St. Bernard of Clairvaux Lifetime Achievement Award he shared with his wife in 2004. Austin and June were honored for their life-long service to Catholic education by being inducted as a Knight and Lady into The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, Southern Lieutenancy of the USA on November 22, 1980, for which a papal certificate was awarded. In addition to dancing, Austin and June shared many passions. They adopted several families from Cuba and Vietnam to assist in their transition to the U.S. They hosted international dignitaries through a program at SMU that placed VIPs in family settings for informal dinners. Austin and June enjoyed travel, and made one of the first trips into the USSR after iron-curtain travel was eased in the mid-1960s. They travelled extensively throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, and points between. Austin is survived by children and spouses Austin and Conny McCormack of Whittier, CA; Patricia Friedel McCormack of Dallas, TX; Kathryn and Dean Konopasek of Anchorage, AK; Daniel and Anne McCormack of Hartford, CT; Thomas and Betsy McCormack of Scarsdale, NY; Ann and Matthew Molash of Dallas, TX; 18 grandchildren and one great granddaughter. A rosary service will be held at Sparkman-Crane Funeral Home located at 10501 Garland Road at 7:00 p.m. Thursday, October 23; Mass and funeral service will be at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, October 24 at St. Bernard’s Church - 1404 Old Gate Lane - Dallas, TX 75218. Interment will be at Grove Hill Memorial Park - 4118 Samuel Boulevard. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that memorials be made to The Catholic Foundation Mrs. Pockets Fund - 5310 Harvest Hill Road - Suite 248 - Dallas, TX 75230. Honorary pallbearers will be grandsons Brian Murphy, Michael McCormack, David McCormack, Jack McCormack, Thomas Molash, Liam McCormack, Michael Molash, Samuel McCormack, Penn McCormack, and Matthew McCormack.