Obituary of Michael Petrick
Michael Petrick (Mike) was born April 12, 1931, in Hammond, Indiana. He died July 5, 2023, age 92, at his home in Plainfield, Illinois surrounded by loving family in physical presence and in thought.
His parents were John and Mary Petrick. They, and his eldest brother John, predeceased him. Mike is survived by his devoted wife Lillian (nee Gromos), daughter Michele Newland (Jeffrey), son Michael John (Leslie Anderson), grandson Michael Anderson Petrick, granddaughter Pamela Petrick, sister Anne Weber, four nieces, Mary Ann Hartmann, Patricia Favret, Andrea Knesek, and Karen Reilly, and nephew Gary Weber.
Mike had a doctorate in chemical engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology. He enjoyed a long career as a scientist at Argonne National Laboratory where he authored and co-authored eighty-seven research papers and conducted many experiments. He worked on the design of nuclear submarines, including Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) which was the propulsion system of the submarines featured in the movie Hunt for Red October. Later, he led a team that designed, built, and tested the largest superconducting dipole magnet ever built at 180 tons.
Mike was keenly interested in clean, renewable energy well before it was fashionable.
Tirelessly in pursuit of new knowledge, in mid-career Mike completed his MBA at the University of Chicago and later his son Michael, grandson Michael, and granddaughter Pamela followed suit.
Mike loved to read, travel, sail, spend time in Naples Florida, play golf, and plant picturesque gardens. The grounds of his home are a beautiful park. His intellectual curiosity and the nature of his work caused him to travel the world, interact with foreign dignitaries, and engage with some of the best scientific minds.
Funeral services for Michael Petrick will be held on Thursday, July 20, 2023. Visitation will be at 11:00 a.m. until the time of the Mass of Christian Burial at 11:30 a.m. which will take place at the Cathedral of St. Raymond Nonnatus, 604 N. Raynor Ave., Joliet, IL 60435. Interment with immediate family in attendance will be at Resurrection Cemetery. A luncheon for friends and family will follow.
For more information please call (815) 741-5500 or visit www.fredcdames.com.
