Fredric W. Pement Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

Fredric Pement Suddenly on October 11, 2017. Predeceased by his parents and one brother, he is survived by his wife Mary Louise Zak Pement. He was born in 1933 in Chicago and graduated from Forest Park High School in Baltimore, MD. He received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Northeastern University in Boston and received his Ph.D in Physical and Nuclear Chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh. He first worked at the U.S. Naval Nuclear program at Bettis, PA and later went to work with Westinghouse Electric Corporations, first in their Research and Development Division, then to their Nuclear Energy Systems. His field was alloy selection and testing as well as metallurgical investigation for nuclear power plants. He presented papers, gave lectures and attended conferences worldwide referencing his specialty. His many papers and articles comprise part of the Westinghouse Electric Corporation's records at the Heinz History Center. Fred was a delightful and witty raconteur of jokes, incidents and, especially, of the foibles of his fellow engineers and scientists. He and his wife, Mary Lou, were avid devotees of bluegrass music. They were regular attendees at most of the major bluegrass music festivals for many years and felt privileged to have met many of the great legends of the genre especially Bill Monroe and Ray Acuff. Locally, the Pements always occupied the front table at Walsh's, the legendary spot here in Pittsburgh to hear bluegrass music. Mac Martin and the Dixie Travelers were the house band. Bill Colleran, leader of Mac Martin and the Dixie Travelers, was among Fred's closest friends and the band even recorded 2 of their albums in the Pement's living room. Fred maintained a lively intellectual curiosity and fierce independence until the end, leaving this world quickly with a cigarette between his fingers! Visitation will be held at D'Alessandro Funeral Home, 4522 Butler St. in Lawrenceville on Saturday, October 28 from 2 - 4 and 6 - 8. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Society for Scientific Exploration - the General Fund, 126 Marshall Corner - Woodsville Road, Hopewell, NJ 08525-2819

Fredric W. Pement

October 27, 1933 - October 17, 2017