Anthony Nicholas Speca's Obituary
Anthony Nicholas Speca, known to many as Tony, died on 27th February 2016, at the age of 68, in his home in Annapolis, Maryland, due to complications arising from a series of seizures and a stroke. He died peacefully and surrounded by family, having just heard his eldest son read to him from a favourite novel.
Tony is now reunited with his own father, Federico, and his mother, Ida. He is survived by his loving wife of 46 years, Marlene, to whom he was happily married on 20th June 1970. He is also remembered lovingly by his sons Anthony and Michael, his granddaughter Audrey and grandsons Paul and Matthew, and his daughters-in-law Ingrid and Caroline.
Tony was born on 13th August 1947 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The first of his family to undertake higher education, he graduated from Drexel University in 1972 with a Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry. He then worked as a research chemist in increasingly responsible positions with Chrysler Corp in Detroit, Michigan; USI Corp in Cincinnati, Ohio; and ExxonMobil Chemical Corp in Houston, Texas. He retired in 2005 and moved to Annapolis, Maryland, to live close to Michael and Ingrid and their new family.
Tony was accomplished at many activities, most notably amateur astronomy, photography and gardening—particularly raising cacti. He was quick to share his wide-ranging interests and passions, a trait from which his sons benefitted enormously. In younger years, he was active in the Catholic Church as a Lector and Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. In later years, he enjoyed travelling with Marlene to many countries around the world—especially, as an amateur astronomer, to observe solar eclipses.
A service of remembrance will be held for Tony at Lasting Tributes Cremation and Funeral Care, 814 Bestgate Road, Annapolis, Maryland, on March 6, 2016, from 2.00-4.00 pm. His ashes will later be scattered in various locations amongst the cacti that he loved to grow from seed, nurture into flower, and photograph.
If desired, memorial donations may be made directly to the Hospice of the Chesapeake (www.hospicechesapeake.org).
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