RAYMOND L. deKOZAN

deKOZAN, RAYMOND L. Raymond L. deKozan of San Diego, California, died Friday at his home, surrounded by his family, after a brief illness. Born in Richmond, Virginia, February 21, 1936, to Levon and Ruth deKozan, Mr. deKozan will be most remembered as a voracious reader and student of history, with tremendous recall and an ability to put history's lessons to work both in business and in his approach to life. These gifts contributed to his monumental successes in establishing and growing the successful Cubic Transportation Systems, Inc., one of the three major businesses of Cubic Corporation, one of San Diego's top companies, founded by Walter J. Zable in 1951. Mr. deKozan met Ann Cracovaner while obtaining his degree in Electrical Engineering at the University of Virginia, and they married on August 9, 1957. First employed by Glen L. Martin in Baltimore later in the year, his work on the space program had him moved to Cape Canaveral in 1958. Within the year he was recruited by Ryan Aeronautical and moved his wife and newborn Suzanne, his first of three children, to San Diego. He worked for Ryan until joining Cubic in 1960. With a keen intellect and a natural instinct for assessing and interacting with people, he became an extremely effective leader and tactician. Mr. deKozan was a highly respected member of the international transit community and was often referred to as the father of modern automatic fare collection. His charismatic leadership of Cubic Transportation Systems spanned four decades and under his watchful eye, the company grew from one small contract for Illinois Central Gulf Railroad to a worldwide leader in the industry with annual sales of $400 million, clients on four continents, and showcase reference projects including New York's MetroCard system and the Oyster smart card system operating on London's Underground and Bus networks. Along the way, Mr. deKozan moved office and home to whatever project needed his personal attention. These included two tours in London, England, as well as New York City and Hong Kong. In 1991, following a well publicized contract pursuit for the New York program, he was named Headliner of the Year by the San Diego Press Club. After his last stint in London, Mr. deKozan returned to San Diego and was appointed a corporate senior group vice president, with oversight responsibility for the transportation company. He also oversaw the company's research and development for the defense and transportation security markets. Upon retirement in January of this year, Mr. deKozan remained a consultant to the company and advised on long-term strategy and potential acquisitions. Fittingly, on his last business trip for Cubic in June of this year, he visited his father's homeland in Armenia to review a company that Cubic had recently purchased. Up until his death he was a vocal supporter for Armenian rights and was an advocate for water rights for the San Joaquin Valley, where a number of Armenians, including members of his extended family, long ago settled to farm. He remained on the Cubic board of directors until his death on October 15th. He is mourned by his family and friends all over the world, as well as the 1,500 employees of Cubic Transportation Systems whom he led much of his adult life. But by his family, he will be forever remembered as an extremely dedicated husband and father, who was affectionately referred to as Yogi for he was smarter than the average bear. He was ferociously loyal to his employees who remember him as much for his disarming wit and charm, as well as his keen mind for details and an encyclopedic recall of facts and figures. In particular, he will be remembered for his love of baseball, for which he could recite from memory obscure baseball statistics from years ago. He followed the New York Yankees religiously and his mood could be determined on how well the Yankees performed the night before. The irony of a self-proclaimed Southern Democrat from Dixie who loved the Yankees was not lost on his many colleagues and friends. As a tribute for their love and affection for Mr. deKozan, the Cubic Transportation Systems world headquarters on Kearny Mesa Road in San Diego will be dedicated in his honor. He is survived by his wife, Ann, and their three children, Suzanne, 52; David, 48; and Lisa 44, along with his four grand-daughters Natalie, 14; Marielle, 11; Nicole, 8, and Mia, 7, his brother Paul and sister in law Ronnie of Atlanta, Georgia, his cousin Clara of San Antonio, Texas, his aunt Alice, and her two daughters Paulette and Sonya of Selma, CA. Memorial services will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday, October 22nd, at the Rolando Methodist Church, 4799 Seminole Drive (cross street El Cajon Blvd.). In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to San Diego Hospice or the Scripps Research Institute.