Following on from the announcement of the death of Professor Józef Suchy last month, the full obituary is now available to view.
Professor Józef Suchy was born on 25th November 1951 in Katowice. After obtaining a secondary school certificate, he studied at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice, from which he graduated in 1975. Even before he finished his studies, he was already employed at his home university in the Foundry Research Institute. In 1978, he went on to obtain the scientific degree of doctor of technical sciences, and then in 1983 habilitated doctor of technical sciences specialising in moulding. In 1993, the president of Poland, Lech Walesa awarded him the title of ‘professor of technical sciences’.
In 1984 he moved to the Higher School of Engineering in Opole and after transforming it into Opole University of Technology in 1996, he became the first rector of this university. In the meantime, in the years 1987-1993 he also taught at the Warsaw Polytechnic. In 1996 he went on a scholarship as a visiting professor at the University of Technology in Brno, Czech Republic.
From 2001, he worked at the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow, where in 2008-2016 he served as the dean of the Faculty of Foundry Engineering. At this university he was also a member of the senate and chairman of the senate education committee, rector's advisor for international co-operation. He was also the chairman of the metallurgy committee of the Polish Academy of Sciences.
He was socially active. In 1974, he joined the Polish Foundrymen’s Association (STOP), becoming president during the years 1993-2007, and then he was entrusted with the position of honorary president of ZG STOP. He was also a member of the Engineering Academy in Poland. With the recommendation of ZG STOP he became the delegate to the FSNT-NOT National Council, which in 2004 elected him the vice president of the main board of FSNT-NOT, he was also in the next and current term of office. He was the chairman of the target projects team. He was active on the international forum and was active in co-operation with international scientific and technical organisations.
Familiar face around the world
He represented NOT in the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO) and he was internal auditor of the European Federation of National Engineering Associations (FEANI).
In 1992 with the recommendation of ZG STOP, he became president of the World Foundry Organization (WFO) and went on to become entrusted with the role of treasurer, in which he served until his untimely death. He was one of the co-founders of the Polish Foundry Centre and the Foundry Chamber of Commerce (OIG), which he has been the president of in 1999-2003 and introduced the OIG into CAEF – the European Foundry Association.
He was one of the co-organisers of the World Foundry Congress in 1991 (Warsaw-Krakow), and the organiser of the 32nd Technical Forum, which took place in Warsaw in 2001, and the head of the organising committee of the 73rd World Foundry Congress, which took place in Krakow in September 2018.
For many years he co-operated with the industry, implementing activities supporting innovation. He was on the councils of such companies as: Odlewnie Polskie SA, Srem SA, Specodlew. With his initiative, the Academic-Economic Forum of Opole Silesia, as well as Opole Science and Technology Park were created. In 2007-2008 he was the chairman of the scientific council of the Foundry Institute in Krakow.
Professor Józef Szczepan Suchy was the author of numerous publications and books, several patent applications, several dozen expert opinions, the promoter of many diploma theses and a reviewer of several dozen doctoral and postdoctoral theses and professorial applications, as well as the author of 250 scientific publications, including five Polish speeches at World Foundry Congresses.
He has received numerous awards for his scientific, didactic and organisational activities, including the STOP Scientific Award of Jerzy Buzek, the Prize of the 4th PAN Division, the ‘Innovative Personality’ Award and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education Awards, Rector Awards from Warsaw University of Technology, Silesian University of Technology and AGH.
He was a man of many talents with a unique personality, high personal culture and plenty of charisma. He was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, the Golden Cross of Merit, the Silver Cross of Merit, the Medal of the National Education Commission, the Golden Honor of the National Chamber of Commerce, the Gold Medal of the Brno VUT, the Golden Insignia of CIATF, and many Polish and international badges and distinctions.
His funeral took place on 5th October 2018, at 1.40pm, after Mass in the Chapel at the Rakowicki Cemetery in Krakow.
The sudden death of Józef Szczepan Suchy is a great loss for the Polish Foundrymen’s Association, the World Foundry Organization, the Polish and international foundry industry and for science. He will be greatly missed but leaves a fine legacy.