Obituary of William H. Gotolski

William H. Gotolski, born Sept. 6, 1926 in Newark, N.J., passed away on November 24, 2013 in State College.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Irene and Vincent Gotolski and sister, Sophia Stegner. He married C. Jean George on June 9, 1951 in Fairmont, W. Va.

After graduating with B.S. and M.S. degrees in Civil Engineering from Columbia University, he worked in construction for Poirier and McLane in New Jersey, the Ohio Highway Department, and taught at Ohio University in the Civil Engineering Department. While there, he established a Soil Mechanics course and laboratory and updated a Materials testing laboratory. Bill continued his education at The Pennsylvania State University where he earned a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering. During his stay at Penn State he worked his way through the ranks, from Instructor to Associate Professor and Professor of Civil Engineering, while teaching courses in surveying, fluid mechanics, transportation engineering, and graduate courses in geotechnical engineering and foundations. He served as an Assistant Dean under Deans Nunzio, J. Palladino, and Wilbur L. Meier. During Dean Meier’s tenure, Bill was responsible for the establishment of the College of Engineering’s Advising Center for undergraduate engineering students. As the first Director of the Center, he established an Advising Guide for freshmen and sophomores in the College while continuing his teaching duties in Civil Engineering. His next venture was to serve as Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies for one year after Dean Meier left the University. Bill remained a registered professional engineer, and consulted in various phases of civil engineering during his time at Ohio University and Penn State. He served on various committees of the Transportation Research Board, American Society for Testing and Materials, American Road Builders Association, and The Association of Asphalt Paving Technologists and served as Past Presidents of the Central Pennsylvania Sections of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Pennsylvania Society of Professional Engineers. He has published in several of the journals of the named professional societies. One of Bill’s proudest moments was for his work on stabilizing sand for vehicle movements during the Vietnam War. In honor of his work, a road in Cam Ranh Bay was named Gotolski Road. He was a member of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in State College, where he served multiple times on the Vestry and as a Lay Reader and Lay Eucharistic Minister.

Bill is survived by his wife, Jean; daughter Ann Koerber and husband Mike of Chapel Hill, N.C; daughter Carol Thronson of San Antonio, TX; and three grandsons, James Thomas, Andrew and Benjamin Koerber. He enjoyed reading, sports, managing his stock portfolio, and attending stage plays and symphonies.

A service will be held Friday, November 29th at 11 a.m. at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church with Reverend Richard Wall officiating. Inurnment will be at St. Andrews in the church columbarium. A reception in the Parish Hall will be held following the service. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 208 West Foster Avenue, State College, PA 16801. Arrangements are under the care of Koch Funeral Home, State College. Online condolences and signing of the guest book may be entered at www.kochfuneralhome.com.