Casimir “Casey” Frank (Szczepanski) Stevens, longtime resident of Los Alamos, New Mexico, entered into eternal rest with the Lord on Saturday, December 30, 2017 at 98 years of age. He was born on Wednesday, February 12, 1919 in Monroe County, New York and was the second of six children. He is survived by his loving wife and friend, Virginia J. Dominiak Stevens, of 71 years marriage; sons Thaddeus of Las Cruces, NM; Col. Patrick and wife Valerie of Yorktown, VA and their sons, Daniel and Michael; Mark of Las Cruces, NM; Carlos of Phoenix, AZ; Major Juan and wife, Maura, of Helena, MT; daughter, Ann Marie of Albuquerque, NM and their son, Casey. He is also survived by his brother Richard Szczepanski and wife Barbara of Hilton, NY; sister, Florence Wojtas of Webster, NY; as well as many nephews and nieces. He is predeceased by his parents Louis and Francis Szczepanski; brothers, Matt and Walter Szczepanski; sister, Gertrude; and many close relatives and friends in the U.S. and abroad.
He spent his teen years in Wyoming, Utah, Nevada and Arizona as a member of The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in Co. 3239 in Green River, WY, Co. 3240 Big Cottonwood, Murray, UT and The Detached Service Motor Pool (CCCSMP) at Ft. Douglas, Salt Lake City, UT.
He was a Navy WWII Veteran who entered into the ready fleet reserve March of 1938 and was activated on October 1940. He survived the attack of Pearl Harbor onboard the U.S.S. Medusa and served continuous shipboard sea duty without leave for 54 months after Pearl Harbor through Guadalcanal, New Guinea and Leyte Philippines on various other ships before being honorably discharged on October 7, 1945 and returning to the U.S. as a disabled veteran.
After the war he was employed at Eastman Kodak Company, General Dynamics and then Navy Ordinance where he participated in the development of Mark #1 and Model #1 Sidewinder Missile Project. In his employment at Los Alamos Laboratory, his achievements included: LANL’s first Operational “LIDAR” ( a laser light emission detection and ranging system for particulates and pollutants in the atmosphere). In addition, he conceived a design for Barium Injection into the Earths’ Magnetosphere, for creating an artificial aurora. His participation and contribution as a scientific crew member led to the flight platform diagnostic system aboard an Air Force C-135 aircraft used at the Nevada Nuclear Test Facility and Pacific Nuclear proving grounds.
He was a member of The Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, Disabled American Veterans (DAV Chapter 19 Santa Fe, NM) and Veterans of Foreign War (VFW Pos 2951 Santa Fe, NM). He served as Commander of Enola Gay (DAV Chapter 39 Los Alamos NM) for 4 years, Knights of Columbus (3137 Los Alamos, NM) and a long time parishioner of San Ildefonso Church, San Ildefonso, NM. He was also a member of The Military Honor Guard at Santa Fe National Cemetery.
He spent over 35 years in Boys Scouting in Los Alamos and many years across the country as a Boy Scout and Adult Scout Leader. Four of those years as a Cub Master of Pack 122 and Pack 220 in Los Alamos, seven years as a Scout Master of Troop 22 and lastly three years as Assistant Scoutmaster of Troop 326 in San Ildefonso, NM. He was part of the District Committee, serving as the District Advancement Chairman and was a recipient of the Silver Beaver Award.
He wished to be buried at a small catholic church in the mountains with peace and beauty for all who come to visit.
A visitation will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, January 6, 2018 at Basilica San Albino Catholic Church in Las Cruces, NM with a Rosary to follow at 10:30 am. A Mass will be held immediately following the Rosary.
At 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 11, 2018, a Funeral Mass will be held at St. Catherine’s Catholic Church in Boulder, Montana. Rite of Committal will follow the Funeral Mass at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Cemetery in the North Boulder Valley of Montana.
Contact Getz Funeral Home in Las Cruces, New Mexico for services occurring in New Mexico OR Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home in Helena, Montana for services taking placing in Boulder, Montana. Please visit below to offer the family a condolence or to share a memory of Casey.
In lieu of flowers, memorials in Casimir Steven’s name are suggested to: The Boy Scouts of America, Troop 22 (make check payable to Troop 22). Mail to: Troop 22, Attn: Thomas Murphy, Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church, 3700 Canyon Road, Los Alamos, NM 87544.
Service Schedule
Visitation
10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Saturday January 6, 2018
Basilica San Albino Catholic Church
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Rosary
10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Saturday January 6, 2018
Basilica San Albion Catholic Church
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Funeral Liturgy
11:00 a.m.
Saturday January 6, 2018
Basilica San Albino Catholic Church
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Funeral Mass
11:00 a.m.
Thursday January 11, 2018
St. Catherine's Catholic Church
214 S. Elder St.
Boulder, Montana 59632
Rite of Committal
Following the Funeral Mass
Thursday January 11, 2018
St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Cemetery
N. Boulder Valley, Montana
Service Schedule
Visitation
10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Saturday January 6, 2018
Basilica San Albino Catholic Church
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Rosary
10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Saturday January 6, 2018
Basilica San Albion Catholic Church
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Funeral Liturgy
11:00 a.m.
Saturday January 6, 2018
Basilica San Albino Catholic Church
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Funeral Mass
11:00 a.m.
Thursday January 11, 2018
St. Catherine's Catholic Church
214 S. Elder St.
Boulder, Montana 59632
Rite of Committal
Following the Funeral Mass
Thursday January 11, 2018
St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Cemetery
N. Boulder Valley, Montana
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John Beardall says
I worked in Group J-10 with Casey at Los Alamos for nearly a decade. I have some photographs if him with other group J-10 members, the C-135 aircraft we flew, and some of the British Scientists we worked with on SPREFS, the space-resolving framing spectrograph. I am able to share these images if they will contact me if they are interested in these memories. Casey was inventive, creative, and extremely hard working. I was a newcomer in the group and he took me under his wing, and helped me be a success in my employment while there. He will always be remembered as the good man he was.