A. J. Szabo

A.J. (August John) Szabo passed away July 13, 2015 at Somerfield Health Center of The Heritage in Brentwood, Tennessee, where he had lived since 2007. He was born September 27, 1921 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He graduated in 1943 from LSU with a Bachelor of Sciences in Sanitary Engineering. He is a WWII Veteran, serving as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Corps from 1943 - 1946. During WWII, he built air fields on Saipan and other islands in the South Pacific. In August 1946, he married his college sweetheart, Ruth Goss. He worked for the Louisiana Department of Health until going to Harvard University in 1949 to obtain a Masters in Sanitary Engineering. He and his young family moved to Lafayette, Louisiana in 1950 where he worked for the Louisiana Department of Health before becoming a Professor of Civil Engineering at Southwest Louisiana Institute (SLI), now University of Louisiana, Lafayette, in 1955. In 1957, he, with two partners, established a consulting engineering firm in Lafayette which became Domingue, Szabo & Associates, Inc. The firm did the engineering for many of the modern infrastructure improvements in Lafayette during the latter 1900s, including most of the runway improvements to the Lafayette Airport. He was active in professional organizations, serving as President of the Louisiana Engineering Society, President of the Louisiana Engineering Foundation and a Director of the National Society of Professional Engineers. He achieved Life Member status in the American Water Works Association, American Academy of Environmental Engineers, American Society of Civil Engineers, Louisiana Engineering Society, National Society of Professional Engineers and Water Environment Federation. He also received numerous awards from these professional organizations. He loved Lafayette and participated in numerous civic organizations. He was president of the Lafayette Rotary Club where he was honored as Rotarian of the Year and the president of the Lafayette Council on Aging. He was active in the First Baptist Church serving as a deacon from 1951 to 2007, chairman of the deacons, church treasurer, chairman of the building committee for the modern sanctuary of the church and Sunday School Teacher. He is preceded in death by his beloved wife and daughter, Ruth and Rebecca Ruth Szabo. He is survived by his sons Robert G. Szabo (Ann) of Washington, D.C. and John F. Szabo (Mary Ann) of Franklin, TN. He is survived by seven grandchildren, Robert C. Szabo (Marie) of Silver Springs, MD; David A. Szabo of San Diego, CA; Bryan P. Szabo of Washington, D.C.; J. Michael Szabo (Elizabeth) of Bend, OR; Justin F. Szabo of Sommes Bar, CA; and Amanda Szabo (David) of Boulder, CO. He has four great-grandchildren. Funeral service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 18, 2015 at First Baptist Church, Lafayette. Visitation will be from 11:00 a. m. until the time of service. Interment will be at Lafayette Memorial Park immediately following the service. Pallbearers will be the Thursday Morning Men’s Prayer Group. Memorial contributions can be made to the ministries of First Baptist Church, 1100 Lee Avenue, Lafayette, LA 70501. Personal condolences may be sent to the Szabo family at www.delhommefuneralhome.com. Delhomme Funeral Home, 1011 Bertrand Drive, Lafayette, LA is in charge of funeral arrangements.

A. J. Szabo

September 27, 1921 - July 13, 2015