David Raymond Katz, Jr. (big Dave, Granddad), passed away peacefully with his family by his side, at the age of 89, at his residence in Haddon Township, NJ on May 20, 2022 after a five year struggle with dementia.
David was born in the east central portion of Georgia, in the small rural town of Soperton which lies within Treutlen County, on May 15, 1933 to Audrey Mae Katz (nee Spann) and David Raymond Katz Sr. He was the oldest of four boys. He was predeceased by his brothers William and Richard and is survived by his youngest brother Frederick (Dona).
Growing up he enjoyed sports; playing football, basketball, and baseball in high school (batting .477 his senior year), and he loved to sing and dance the jitterbug.
After high school he served for two years in the US Navy as a radar man on the destroyer USS William R. Rush. His first three months at sea were spent in the sickbay with extreme sea sickness. He was told he could honorably remove himself from the ship but as was a theme throughout his life he persevered until he was able to function in his role at his typically high level.
He met the love of his life Ruth Marie Katz (nee Fitzgerald) who was from Cambridge, MA at a USO dance in Boston, MA. They married on May 9, 1955 in Norfolk, VA and jitterbugged their way through 32 years of marriage raising six children who survive him, David Katz III (Marilyn Murphy), Susan Katz-Murphy (Michael), Felicia Katz-Zurzolo (Rick), Sandra van der Zwan-Katz (Steven), Barbara Katz (Robert Lewandowski), and Dee Johnson (Bruce).
As a young man he entered the computer industry in 1958 at Simplex Corporation in Boston when an aptitude test selected him to be trained on business applications of newly emerging computer technologies. He quickly rose within the field from being a programmer, to a systems analyst, to department head, then director, and finally retiring from Cigna Corporation as a Vice President of Data Systems globally. Simultaneously he attended college at night, part time while raising a family of six and often working long hours. After over 20 years of dogged determination he received his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Boston University in 1979.
David enjoyed working in his vegetable garden and sharing the bounty with family and friends. He loved to fish by surf casting on the Outer Banks of North Carolina during the family’s annual vacation that began in 1970 and continues to this day. From his earliest years in Boston he became a passionate, lifelong fan of the Boston Red Sox and the Boston Celtics. He was committed to his health and maintained a running regimen and a gym membership right up to when his illness began when he was 84.
A few years following the death of his beloved Ruthie in 1987, after 32 years of a steadfast loving marriage, David joined the Catholic Church, became a devoted parishioner, and answered Ruthie’s prayer for him that he would find his faith. Around this same time he joined “Parents Without Partners”, attended their dances, and met Thelma Hagan with whom he developed a loving partnership that lasted for 12 years during which she became a beloved member of the family up until her untimely death in 2004.
One of David’s most cherished titles was Granddad. He spent many hours attending sporting events, musical performances, plays, graduations, birthdays, baptisms, communions, and plain old fun days supporting and loving the 14 grandchildren he is survived by. Erin, David, Daniel, Shaunna, Samantha (Paul), Patrick (Diana), Christie (TJ), Michael, Alexander, Christopher, Joshua, Ryan, Katie, and Nicole. He was also blessed to be survived by countless nieces and nephews and three great-grandchildren, Quinn, Tess, and Declan.
The entire Katz clan was blessed to have had the loving, expert care of Merlin Williams for the last five years of David’s life when she became his primary caretaker. She was fiercely protective and tirelessly devoted to him, and he took great comfort in Merlin’s presence and loved her dearly, as we all do.
A memorial service will be held at a later date. Interment will be at St. Joseph’s Cemetery, 240 Lower Landing Rd., Blackwood, NJ where he will be laid to rest with his beloved Ruthie.
In lieu of flowers, please, donate to St. Jude Hospital. . .
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