Vincent Joseph Minkiewicz passed away peacefully on April 4, 2019 at age 80 at Creekside nursing home in Meridian, Idaho. He was born October 24, 1938 in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania to Alexander Walter Minkiewicz and Tilly (Teofila) Zdanciewicz. He graduated 1956 from Shenandoah Catholic High School and went on to attend Villanova University in Philadelphia where his studies focused on physics and mathematics, graduating cum laude in 1960.
Vince moved to northern California after being accepted at UC Berkeley for post graduate studies in applied physics research. It was there he met his future wife, Patricia Rae Donnelly of California, and they married in March 1965. Vince was awarded his Doctorate in Physics later that year and the couple moved to Suffolk County NY to begin Vincent’s career in solid state physics research at the Brookhaven National Laboratory. During his successful tenure there, 58 of his research papers were published in reviewed journals. Vince took a leave of absence in autumn 1968 to be a Visiting Scientist & Associate Professor at Osaka University in Japan. With their firstborn in tow, the couple moved to Toyonaka city. Upon return, he continued at the Laboratory until July 1971 when he relocated with his young family to Silver Spring, Maryland, to become Associate Professor of Physics at the University of Maryland in College Park. In December 1973 the Maryland Academy of Sciences honored Vincent as the year’s Distinguished Young Scientist for his valuable contributions to applied physics research. In February 1975, IBM Corp came calling and the family moved to Saratoga, California when Vince joined the IBM Research Division in San Jose as Advisory Physicist. During his IBM years Vince enjoyed several ocean fishing trips off the west coast, as well as annual spring skiing with the family in the Sierra Mountains and summer camping vacations in state parks.
After retirement from IBM in August 1994, he subsequently started a successful small business, Casimir Consultants. He and Patricia decided in 1998 to move to Eagle, Idaho, to be near their daughter in Boise and to enjoy a new environment and lifestyle.
Vince is survived by his wife Patricia, married 54 years; daughter Sarah Marie Minkiewicz-Breunig (Christopher) of Boise ID; son Alexander Joseph Minkiewicz (Megan) of Platte Butte OR; two younger brothers, Daniel Minkiewicz of Chicago IL and Michael Minkiewicz (Mary Teresa) of Stillwater MN; his brother in law Gerald Cielinski of Decatur GA; several cousins and second cousins including Maryann Bazylewicz Sperhac of New York City; nieces and nephews. His sister Christine Minkiewicz Cielinski preceded him in death.
A Funeral Mass will be held Saturday, July 13, 10:00AM at St. John’s Catholic Cathedral in Boise, Idaho.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Vincent’s memory to Villanova University. Private funeral arrangements were handled by Bowman Funeral Directors, Garden City ID.
