1963

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Joseph David Cusick MBA ’63 Oct. 18, 1929-Mar. 27, 2013. A resident of Los Gatos, he passed away at home in Los Gatos, of melanoma. He is survived by his loving and supportive wife of 61 years, Kathryn Vermilya Moore Cusick, their eight children Stephen, Anne, Eileen, Michael (Joyce) Joseph (Nanette), Mary, James (Michelle), and John (Eiko), 14 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Joe was born in Chicago on October 18, 1929, to Joseph M. and Rose Gerrity Cusick. He came to California to attend Stanford University, where he was a member of Delta Upsilon fraternity, Sigma Delta Chi professional journalism organization, Navy ROTC, and the football and wrestling teams. After receiving his degree in 1951, he was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Navy and served on the USS Princeton off Korea. He was trained as a pilot in Pensacola, FL and was assigned to fighter squadrons at Moffett NAS. While on night maneuvers in July 1954, his jet experienced a flameout; he guided the aircraft away from residential areas and made a crash landing in a cherry orchard in Sunnyvale. He continued to fly jets and antisubmarine aircraft at Alameda NAS as a reserve officer. Joe had a long career in military aerospace, first at Lockheed Missiles and Space Company for ten years and then as a civilian manager at the Air Force Satellite Test Center, both in Sunnyvale. He was Chief of Operations at the time he retired in 1991. He received an MBA at Santa Clara University in 1963, was a Sloan Fellow at the Stanford Business School in 1972-73, and received an MS from San Jose State University in 1976. Joe met his wife Kathy at Stanford, and after graduation both were active volunteers for the university. He was a fundraiser for over 50 years and served as chair/co-hair for numerous alumni conferences and class reunions. He served as chairman of the Associates of the Stanford University Libraries and was a board member of Stanford Associates. He received the Gold Spike Award in 1973 for distinguished volunteer service and the Stanford Associates Award in 1995. He was also a member of the Block S Society, Buck-ardinal Club, Alumni Association, and Founding Grant Society. Joe loved to travel, beginning with his teenage road trips throughout the western United States and Mexico. After retirement, he and Kathy traveled throughout Europe and to other destinations such as Japan, China, Australia, and South Africa, frequently as part of biennial reunions with his Stanford Sloan Program classmates and spouses. He was also active in the Saratoga Men’s Club, Los Gatos Rotary, and the Los Gatos Museum Association. 

08 Nov 2018