Vincent Zdanowicz
Vincent Stephen Zdanowicz, 69, died on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2018. He was at his home in Eastham, Mass., with his wife Mary Theresa Zdanowicz and his friend, Deeann Deet, from North Carolina. Family members visited him from Milford, Conn. in the days before his death. He is survived by his mother Pearl; sister Patricia Mason; niece Kristen DeNardo; and two nephews, Fred and Brian Mason. He maintained relationships with friends all over the country from all stages of his life. He was a modest man and everyone loved him.
He was born in Bridgeport, Conn. and graduated from Fairfield College Preparatory School in 1966. He received a BS in chemistry from Fordham University, and a Ph.D. in chemistry from Rutgers University. Vincent was a principal investigator for the National Marine Fisheries Service, an agency of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. He began his career at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center Milford Laboratory, Connecticut, where he met his wife Mary. Later, he moved to the James J. Howard Marine Sciences Laboratory on Sandy Hook, N.J. Mary followed him, and they were married in 1982.
He was an expert in the application of laser ablation inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry, a cutting edge technology used by only a handful of laboratories around the world. He had many accomplishments and received many honors during his career. He was awarded a Bronze Medal, NOAA’s highest award, for excellence in analytical chemistry. He was appointed to the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, Marine Environmental Quality Committee. He was the only American appointed to the committee at the time. He was a member of the editorial board of the Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, an international journal. He was appointed as an advisor to postdoctoral research associates in a program administered by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences.
After Sept. 11, 2001, he worked for the Department of Homeland Security, where he continued to develop applications of laser ablation technology in forensic studies. He received the Anti-Terrorism Award in 2004 at the Annual U.S. Customs and Border Protection Awards Ceremony. After retiring to Cape Cod, he missed being in the laboratory. He volunteered at the water quality laboratory of the Barnstable County Health Department and was eventually hired part-time.
He loved going to sea aboard NOAA research vessels. He volunteered with FEMA and traveled to Mississippi in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. He enjoyed playing cards with his friends. He was a kind soul and he will be sorely missed. Services were held in Connecticut in April. Memorial contributions may be made to Fairfield College Preparatory School, 1073 North Benson Road, Fairfield, CT 06824. For assistance making a donation, please contact the development office at Fairfield Prep: 203-254-4237. For online condolences, please visit nickersonfunerals.com.
This is a paid notice.
