John Karpis - Obituary

f Annapolis, MD, died peacefully at home and surrounded by his loving family on August 3, 2013. Mr. Karpis was born on December 31, 1923, the youngest child of Alexander and Matilda Karpis, immigrants from Lithuania. He was baptized on February 23, 1924 and attended St. Casimir and Southeast Catholic High in Philadelphia with his three brothers, Alexander, George and Edward, all predeceased. He was a Technician 3rd Grade Company B 1709 Signal Service Battalion in the US Army and arrived in France on D-day +3 in a plane with over a dozen Colonels. A Sergeant driving a jeep pulled up, called his name, put his gear in the jeep and drove him away leaving the officers wondering who the only enlisted passenger on the plane was. During the Battle of the Bulge his unit became attached to General Patton's Third Army. After the war he went to Villanova University where he received a Bachelors of Mechanical Engineering. Mr. Karpis worked for a number of companies including Westinghouse where he met his future wife, Ms. Victoria Zdun. They were married in Chester, PA at St. Hedwig's Church on October 17, 1954. During their marriage they lived in Philadelphia, Detroit, Bel Air, MD, Newark DE, Belmont Shore and Huntington Beach, CA and Edgewater, MD. His loving wife went to the Lord on February 8, 2006. He was employed by Martin Marietta in Baltimore where he worked on projects for the Mercury and Gemini space programs. His time at Boeing Vertol in Ridley Park, PA was spent on helicopters and heavy rail transportation. Moving west to California in the employ of Northrop he spent considerable time “in the desert”. He was finally able to tell his family he was working on the B2 bomber after the bomber program went public. Throughout his career he authored a number of patents. He served his country with honor and kept it's secrets. He was a devoted husband and loving father. Mr. Karpis is survived by two daughters, Susan Robinson and her husband Monty and Carol McGee; one son, Alexander Karpis and his wife Judy; Grandchildren, Victoria McGee, PV2 Casey McGee, US Army, Madison McGee, Cody McGee, Alexander McKinley Karpis and 2LT John Addison Karpis, US Air Force. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Tuesday, August 6 at 10:30AM at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Annapolis. Interment will follow in Maryland Veterans Cemetery, Crownsville. An online guestbook is available by clicking the 'sign guestbook' link to the left.