David Richard Vasil

David was born December 19, 1935 in Chicago, IL to his parents Anton and Eileen (nee Goodovich) Vasil.

A graduate of Kelly High School, David attended Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) and received his Bachelor of Science in Biology degree in 1968. From 1958 to 1969, David worked for IIT Research Institute in the Pathogenic Laboratory. He was responsible for environmental studies with microbiological methods and assisted in the development of tissue-culture methods for the rapid counting of viral aerosol populations.

It was during this time that he met Mary Ann Welsch on a blind date, and they were married on June 27, 1964. They were married for 55 years until her death on December 10, 2019, and spent 53 of those years at their home in Berwyn, IL where they welcomed two children, Eileen and Tim, and eventually their dog Humphrey.

In 1969 David began his career at Illinois Institute of Gas Technology (IGT). After starting in biology-focused areas of research, he spent the majority of his tenure working with molten carbonate fuel cell research, running studies and experiments to develop an economical means for electrochemical energy conversion. He took graduate level courses in electrochemistry, electrochemical engineering, and automated gas chromatography. David retired in 1995 with the title of Principal Scientist.

In retirement David continued to enjoy his family and hobbies of photography, computers, and all things tech. He was a voracious reader, particularly science fiction, and kept a log of the books he read in retirement that reached into the thousands. David enjoyed smoking a pipe for many years, ultimately switching to licorice and Life Savers.

David is predeceased by his parents and wife. He is survived by beloved children Eileen (Michael) Paliakas and Timothy (Deborah) Vasil, as well as cherished grandchildren Cara and Leah Paliakas and Chloe and Declan Vasil.