Former Physics Prof. Roger Ptak Dies at Age 76

September 22, 2014

Roger L. Ptak, assistant professor of physics at DePauw University from 1966-68, died September 18 as a result of injuries he suffered in an accident during a trip home to Maine from Ohio.  He was 76 years old.

Born on September19, 1938, in Wyandotte, Michigan, Ptak received his bachelor's degree at the University of Detroit and earned his master's and doctorate degrees at Cornell University.

After teaching for two years at DePauw, Professor Ptak joined the physics faculty at Bowling Green State University. "He taught and conducted research into quasars and related galaxies at BGSU for nearly 30 years," notes his obituary.  "In retirement, he continued to write a monthly astronomy column, Stardust, for newspapers in Bryan and Bowling Green and in Maine, said his wife. His last column touched on the October skies and the upcoming lunar eclipse ... After moving to Northport, Maine, in 1998, he kept two telescopes at the house: one for nighttime viewing and a second to examine the sun, his wife said." (at left: photo of Prof. Ptak from the 1968 Mirage)

A mass to celebrate Roger Ptak's life will take place Friday, September 26, at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Belfast, Maine, at 11 a.m. Friday, followed by a small reception.

Access the obituary at the website of the Toledo Blade.

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