Anthony Urbanic

Anthony J Urbanic, age 100, son of Anton and Agnes Urbanic, born July 10, 1914 in Cleveland, Ohio, and most recently of Ann Arbor, Michigan, died at Huron Woods, connected to St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, on January 11, 2015. Dr. Urbanic lived most of his life in the Cleveland and Akron areas of Ohio, moving to Michigan to be near his son Dr. Robert Urbanic and his family in 2012. He was preceded in death by his wife of 57 years Helen (Monaghan) Urbanic in 2001. They were married in Cleveland in 1942. Surviving are three children, a son, Fr. James Urbanic, CPPS, of Berkeley, CA; a daughter, Karen (Urbanic) and husband Dr. Steve Stulck of Lexington, MA, and their three children, Jenny Stulck and her husband Charles Elmer, Dan Stulck and his wife Adrienne, and Nick Stulck; and a son, Dr. Robert Urbanic MD, and his wife Janet (Rauch) of Ann Arbor, MI, and their three children, Theresa Urbanic, John Urbanic and Gloria DeVere and her husband Paul, and great grandchildren Robert and Rebecca DeVere. He also leaves his nephew Dr. Allan Urbanic and his wife Barbara, of California, and his niece Eileen Wittenberg and her husband John of Chicago, and his nephew, Mike Monaghan and his wife Mary, of Cleveland. His brother Joseph Urbanic, of West Palm Beach, FL, preceded him in death. Dr. Urbanic, a native of Cleveland, graduated from East Tech high school, received a Bachelor of Science degree (cum laude)from Oberlin College in 1938 and then a M. A. and Ph.D. from then Western Reserve University (now Case Western Reserve University) in chemistry in 1942. During World War II he was a scientist on the Government Rubber Reserve Program at B.F. Goodrich Company. He was a pioneer on Vinyl Chloride Polymers and developed the first 100% Vinyl Chloride Polymer latex and the early Plastisol PVC resins. He also did fundamental studies on the polyvinyl chloride molecule, and its size distribution. He then went to General Tire in 1950 as a Polymer Chemist in administration of R&D, working on several plastic products, including reinforced plastics for the automotive industry. He was a member of the Akron chapter of the American Chemical Society for over 50 years and a Charter and Board member, as well as President of the Akron Society of Plastics Engineers. He was an active Boy Scout leader with St. Sebastian Church Troop 96 for over 40 years. He continued to attend Boy Scout Camp Manatoc for years after both his sons received their Eagle Scout badges. Tony enjoyed dancing, golfing, swimming, and when young, baseball and track. In his later years he enjoyed using the computer, including the Internet. He was a strong advocate of education for himself, his children and his grandchildren. He and his wife Helen were generous, active parishioners of St. Sebastian parish since 1951 and enjoyed visiting their children and grandchildren. Mass of Christian Burial will be held in St. Sebastian Church on Saturday, January 17, 2015, at 10:30 am, with interment at Holy Cross Cemetery, Akron. Friends may call at Hummel Funeral Home, 3475 Copley Road, Copley, Ohio, from 6 until 7 pm on Friday, January 16, 2015. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made to St. Sebastian Foundation, 476 Mull Ave, Akron.