Frank Rzeszutek, a former machinist from the Notre Dame Physics department, died on Nov. 26 at Memorial Hospital after suffering a heart attack.

Rzeszutek joined the Physics Department in 1969 after he emigrated from Poland, and retired in 1997.

He worked as an instrument maker for 28 years at the University and designed technical equipment for the Physics, Chemistry, and Engineering departments. He created machinery for Brookhaven and Argon National Laboratories.

"Frank was an interesting man, there wasn't much he couldn't fix," said Don Gard, Rzeszutek's co-worker. "I've been in this business for over 30 years and worked with lots of different people, and I've never seen a man quite as meticulous and as skilled as Frank."

When Rzeszutek was not in Niewland Science Hall, he fixed the ovens and coolers at his family's bakery, Baker's Dozen Bake Shop in South Bend. He was also an active fundraiser and organizer for a Catholic radio program broadcast out of Poland, known as Radio Marya.

"My dad was a very dedicated and generous man. He was even known to fix professors' cars in his free time," said his daughter, Lucy Rzeszutek, a junior FTT major at Notre Dame.

The memorial service for Rzeszutek was held Nov. 29 at St. Adalbert's Church, South Bend and he was buried at St. Joseph's Cemetery.

Rzeszutek is survived by his wife, Maria and their six children, Tony, Lisa, Margaret, Christopher, Donna and Lucy.

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