Carl Alfred Ventrice Sr.

Dr. Carl A. Ventrice, Sr. COOKEVILLE—Dr. Carl A Ventrice, Sr. passed away on Sunday morning, December 27, 2020, at the age of 90. He was born on August 7, 1930 in York, Pennsylvania to Rachel and James Ventrice. He grew up in a large, happy Italian family and attended school in York, PA. He joined the Navy in 1948 and served honorably with active service in the Korean War. Through the Navy, he trained in the electrician’s trade. He served on three different ships during his service in the Navy, including the USS Chehalis, a ship that exploded and resulted in the loss of many of his fellow seamen. He also served on a rocket ship, and a troop transport ship that carried wounded and deceased soldiers to and from battle lines. He participated in the defense of the Pusan Perimeter, the Inchon Invasion, and the evacuation of the Chosin Reservoir. His service in the Navy extended through 1952. Following his Navy service, Dr. Ventrice benefitted from the GI Bill, attending Pennsylvania State University, in State College, PA., to achieve a BS in Electrical Engineering, an MS in Physics and a PhD in Nuclear Physics. While studying at Penn State, he met his future wife, Marie Poulette Busck. The two were married on January 25, 1960. They had a daughter, Ruth, in 1961. After achieving his PhD, Dr. Ventrice began work in Washington, DC, for The Pentagon, and he served as a consultant to a think tank. He, his wife and daughter lived in Arlington, VA at this time and a baby son, Carl Jr. joined the family. The family moved to Cookeville, TN in 1964, and Dr. Ventrice taught Physics at Tennessee Tech University, while his wife Marie studied to earn her Bachelor’s degree. The family then moved to Auburn, Alabama, where Dr. Ventrice taught physics, and his wife achieved an Master’s degree. Their son James was born in Auburn in November of 1966. The family returned to Cookeville in the summer of 1968, and Dr. Ventrice became a professor of Electrical Engineering at TTU, while his wife Marie studied and did research in pursuit of a PhD in Engineering Science and Mechanics. Dr. Ventrice was very supportive of his wife’s education, and extremely proud of her, when she graduated with the first PhD at the university, in 1974. Dr. Ventrice had a long and happy career, teaching electrical engineering undergraduate and graduate students at TTU, and doing research in the field of plasma laser technology. He was honored with TTU’s Outstanding Faculty award, and was appreciated and respected for his dedication to his students. He officially retired from teaching at TTU at the age of 81, but continued to teach one class per semester as a service to the university. Dr. Ventrice was a very loving and dedicated father to his children. He was a talented cook, and made everyone welcome in his home and around his table. He took under his roof several children who needed temporary shelter and guidance, and made them part of the family. He was a lover of music, poetry and philosophy. He created sculptures out of wood. He enjoyed exercise and being active, walking all over Cookeville, to and from the university, waving to everyone along the way. He was married to his loving wife, Marie Busck Ventrice, for 43 years, until her death in 2003. Despite this significant loss, Dr. Ventrice carried on with life, work and fatherhood, and, even when he was diagnosed with cancer in 2013, he lived with a heart of thankfulness and service. He endured through illness well, until the age of 90, and passed away peacefully, with loving family and friends supporting him, to the end. Dr. Ventrice was preceded in death by his wife Marie, and his parents, Rachel and James Ventrice, his sister Antoinette Ventrice Scarpato, his sister Marie Ventrice Amey, and his brother Alphonso Ventrice, all of York, PA. He is survived by his son James Ventrice and wife Geok Hwa (Gigi) Kee Ventrice of Cookeville, his son Carl Ventrice Jr. and wife Heike Geisler of Cobleskill, NY, his daughter Ruth Ventrice and husband Frank Holloway of Baxter, TN, his adopted daughter Kenyon Webber of New Orleans, LA, his grandson Dr. Michael Holloway and wife Gina of Smyrna, TN, his granddaughter Sarah Savage and husband Jesse, and his beloved great grandsons, Jasper and Cade Savage of Cookeville. The family would like to thank Tim Vivian, Dr. Bernadette Hee, and Dr. Lynn Rosenbaum for their expert medical care and warm kindness during Dr. Ventrice’s illness. The family would like offer deep gratitude, as well, to the staff of Avalon Hospice and to Lori Griggs and her dedicated staff of caregivers for their care of Dr. Ventrice. Due to concerns about the pandemic, Dr. Ventrice requested that there be no funeral or memorial service held in his honor. Those who wish to honor Dr. Ventrice can send a donation in his name to the Codorus Creek Watershed Association at PO Box 2881, York, PA, 17405 or via the website, https://www.facebook.com/ccwa.net/.