Obituary of Alexander R. Matzuk

Alexander R. Matzuk 86, of Tucson, Arizona passed on to his next life on September 26, 2008, after a long battle with heart disease. He was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, July 30, 1922 to Paul Matzuk and Anna Dzadek. As a boy growing up in an Orthodox Russian community he was a member of a Russian Mandolin Orchestra. After graduating from Thomas Jefferson High School, he started out to be a commercial artist but chose chemistry as a career and was hired as a Junior Chemist by Merck and Co., Rahway, New Jersey on August 25, 1941. He was called to defend his country and spent three years, during WWII in the Army Air Force Chemical Corps with the 392nd Fighter Squadron, 367th Fighter Group in England, France and Germany. Upon his return to Merck he met and later married his wife on July 25, 1947. He continued his education (going 14 years to night school) and graduated Cum Laude from Seton Hall University in June 1951 with a B.S. in Chemistry. He also attended Brooklyn Polytech; Newark College of Engineering and then went on to graduate school at Rutgers University obtaining a Masters in Chemistry in June 1960. He was a Senior Research Fellow for Merck's Research & Development Division and was involved in the development of and holds patents for 20 pharmaceutical compounds some of which are Thibenzole, Flexeril, Indocin, and Dolobid. He retired in August 1987, after 45 years of service, and moved with his wife to Tucson. He is predeceased by his parents and his younger brother, Peter Matzuk. He is survived by his beloved wife of 61 years, Gloria Buhl Matzuk; daughter, Alexis Ann (Terence) Secory; sons, Martin (Lynn) Matzuk, MD and Gregory (Denisa) Matzuk; grandchildren, Travis Secory, A.J. Matzuk, Ryan Matzuk and Brandon Matzuk. He is once again in the loving arms of his beloved mother who died of cancer three months prior to him returning from the war. He was an intelligent man with a wonderful sense of humor and who always enjoyed a good joke. He was a great musician and artist, always sketching pictures for his children. Dad told such wonderful stories of his life experiences painting a picture of his full life as if working a canvas with his words. We will be forever grateful to all of you who took such good care of Dad in his final months and to Casa de la Luz for being so compassionate and helping, not only Dad but our family, during his final days. He will be greatly missed by his family and all that knew him. We love you and will see you again in heaven. We are sending you off to heaven with your "favorite" cane. A committal service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 4, 2008 at Holy Hope Cemetery Mausoleum, 3555 N. Oracle Rd. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Casa de la Luz Hospice Foundation, 400 W. Magee Rd., Tucson, AZ 85704. Arrangements by DESERT SUNSET FUNERAL HOME, 297-9007.