Richard J. Kosich; was missile systems engineer

Richard J. Kosich, 84, of Cherry Hill, who retired as a missile systems engineer at Lockheed Martin in Moorestown, died of dementia on Thursday, Oct. 29, at CareOne at Evesham, an assisted-living center in Marlton.

Mr. Kosich grew up in the Port Richmond neighborhood of Philadelphia, graduated from Northeast High School in 1948, and earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering at the University of Pennsylvania in 1952.

He was an engineer in the Camden offices of Radio Corp. of America in the 1950s, became a manager in the engineering department of Philco Corp., and then returned to RCA, his wife, Gene, said.

"He was instrumental in bringing the Aegis program to RCA," she said, referring to the Aegis Combat System.

The Lockheed Martin website calls the system "an onboard defensive missile system capable of detecting and intercepting incoming missiles."

The site says the Aegis program was "launched in 1969 with Lockheed Martin legacy company RCA as lead contractor."

Mrs. Kosich said that her husband "went down to lecture to Washington" audiences at the Navy Department, successfully emphasizing the advantages of locating the program in Moorestown.

By the time he retired, she said, he had become head of the unit that designed the Aegis missile guidance system.

Jack Dennison, who retired as a program manager for Lockheed Martin in Moorestown, recalled that Mr. Kosich was "easy to work with, very open to ideas."

Mr. Kosich, he said, was "extremely intelligent and very technically astute." Besides that, he was "a very nice person."

Besides his work for RCA and its successors, Mr. Kosich and four others founded Ultronic Systems in Mount Laurel in the 1960s. Mr. Kosich's wife said the company soon merged with what is now GTE Corp.

At one point, she said, Mr. Kosich "left RCA to start his own business, called Triad Engineering" in Cherry Hill, until he was asked to return to the Aegis program.

A member of the Tavistock Country Club, Mr. Kosich, a tennis player since his days on his high school team, was also a member of the Haddon Field Club.

Besides his wife, Mr. Kosich is survived by son Richard F., daughter Mary Beth Kosich, and a sister.

A visitation was set from 10 to 10:45 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, at the United Methodist Church, 29 Warwick Rd., Haddonfield, before an 11 a.m. memorial service there.

Donations may be sent to a charity of one's choice.

Condolences may be offered to the family at http://kainmurphy.com.

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