Michael Panza Obituary

Dr. Michael J. "Mike" Panza passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family, Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023, in Chesapeake, Va., following a massive stroke while visiting one of his daughters for the holidays. He was 77 years old and lived with his loving wife, Judith "Judy" (Lynch) Panza, in Erie, Pa. Mike was extraordinary, and his life was filled with high achievements, any one of which would define the life of an ordinary man. Mike was born in Vandergrift. When he was a boy, he ate an early dinner each night with his Aunt Mimi, Aunt Rose, and Nonni. He would then eat a second dinner with his own family. Unsurprisingly, he grew to be almost 6'4" tall. Mike and Judy married on Sept. 5, 1970. Other suitors pursued Judy Lynch, but Mike won her heart. They met at Three D's in Erie. When Mike told Judy his name for the first time, he said "it's Michael, like in the Bible." Mike's legacy is his family. He and Judy have three daughters, Juli DeBoef, of Springfield, Mo., Ellen Tart, of Chesapeake, Va., and Beth Howard, of Branson, Mo.; three sons-in-law, Ryan DeBoef, Brian Tart and Errett Howard; eight grandchildren, Lauren and Hanna Wubbena, Claire and Abby Tart, and Emily, Ethan, Ella, and Emerson Howard; and two stepgrandchildren, Liam and Waylan DeBoef. Mike and Judy drove across the country, visiting each of their daughters multiple times each year. Mike (known as "Daddy" to his girls and "Papa" to his grandchildren) proudly led his family on many excursions and adventures over the years. He adored summer vacations with his family in the Outer Banks, where he boogie boarded and built sandcastles with his grandchildren. Christmas Eve was his annual event. He observed the southern Italian tradition of the Feast of the Seven Fishes. He woke early in the morning each December 24, beginning by preparing the squid. As his girls and grandchildren awoke and arrived, he put them to work on various tasks to create the meal. The outcome was an amazing meal and a family so full of seafood and garlic they could hardly move. Mike had a deep relationship with Jesus Christ, and his faith guided him. He strived to be a picture of his heavenly Father. Mike was a decorated engineer. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees from Gannon University. While working for Lord Corp. in his late 30s, a pending work change inspired him to pursue his life's dream of earning a doctorate and becoming a college professor. He took a job at Gannon University and went back to school, earning a Ph.D. from the University at Buffalo. Mike rose through the ranks at Gannon. He served as chair of the Mechanical Engineering Department and served for numerous years in various capacities on the faculty senate, the university compensation committee, and the university rank, tenure and academic freedom committee. He received the Distinguished Faculty Award, published highly acclaimed papers detailing his research, and was awarded numerous grants. Meanwhile, he also worked as a consulting engineer for General Electric and Wabtec, specializing in noise control for diesel locomotives. Mike developed fundamental engineering (FE) and professional engineering (PE) course modules for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and offered the courses at Gannon, General Electric, and Lord Corp. He retired from Gannon in 2022 and was named faculty emeritus. Mike was fully invested in his hobbies. He played basketball every Thursday night with his friends for 56 years. He continued to play ball even as he aged, playing a game with his friends merely weeks before his death. A loyalist to the core, he cheered for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Pittsburgh Steelers through good seasons and bad. He had frequent, long phone calls with his only living brother, John, about their shared love (and sometimes disdain) for their favorite teams. He was committed to fantasy football, and he was number one in his league at the time of his death. His professional bio lists "playing around with applied mathematics" as one of his interests, and he often worked through math problems in his free time. He was also a history buff, and (much to his girls' chagrin) he insisted upon visiting different battlefields and American colonial sites each summer on family vacations. A devout fan of the show "M*A*S*H," he loved watching Klinger, Hawkeye, Colonel Sherman T. Potter, and the whole crew with his girls. He even insisted that the family play a "M*A*S*H" trivia board game. Mike's life was, in a word, incredible. He was preceded in death by his granddaughter, Emily Elizabeth Howard; his brother, Eugene Panza; and his parents, Jean and Mary Panza. He is survived by his bride, his daughters, their husbands, his grandchildren, and his brother, John, all of whom are mentioned above and played central roles in Mike's life. He will be missed by his students, his colleagues, his friends, and his large extended family. Mike's family invites everyone who loved, respected, or otherwise knew him to join them for a celebration of his life at 1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 29, at RealLife Assembly, 3902 West 38th St., Erie. Mike will be buried at a private ceremony at a later date at Oak Ridge Cemetery near Branson, Mo. In lieu of flowers, his family requests that contributions be made in Mike's honor to the Women's Care Center of Erie County Inc. (www.wccerie.org/).