Dr. Eraldus "Pete" Scala

Born June 22nd, 1922 in Trieste, Italy and named Eraldus by his parents Giovanni & Giaconda. He was renamed Pete while growing up in Brooklyn, NY, attending US schools and serving in the Army during WWII. Pete achieved a distinguished professional career as a Metallurgist, composite researcher, academic and business-owner, and has a legendary life story as an intellect, husband, father, grandfather, historian, traveler, sailor, wine-maker, golfer, Republican and active community and YMCA member. Pete lived and worked in New York state until 2008, when he moved to the OceanView Retirement Community in Maine. He passed away on December 21st, 2010 following a brief period of failing health.

Pete achieved early success at Stuyvesant High School and City College in NY. Following his service in the US Army 775th Field Artillery Battalion he returned to NY City, earned a Masters from Columbia University where he met Phyllis, his wife of 62 years. Pete and Phyllis married in 1948 and he continued his studies at Yale University to earn his Doctorate in Engineering, Metallurgy & Materials.

Dr. Scala started work as a metallurgic chemist and research associate on an Atomic Energy Commission Project with the Physical Metallurgy Department at Columbia. He progressed in his profession and early career at Chase Brass & Copper Company and the Avco Corporation as a research metallurgist, training director and manager. He was a recognized expert on high temperature materials and worked on the Titan and Minuteman Re- Entry nose cones and later Mercury, Gemini and Apollo re-entry heat shields.

In 1961 Dr. Scala joined the Cornell University faculty as Professor of Metallurgical and Materials Sciences. While at Cornell his achievements included a Guggenheim Fellowship to conduct work at TNO in Delft, Netherlands, and the Alcoa Visiting Professor position at the University of Pittsburgh. His scholarly research and consulting included positions on the Advisory Board on Materials of NASA, the Materials Advisory Board of the National Academy of Sciences, the Army Materials and Mechanics Research Center, the Aerospace Corporation, and the Battelle Memorial Institute. In 1971 Dr. Scala founded the International Conference on Composite Materials (ICCM). The first conference was in Geneva Switzerland, and in 2001 Dr. Scala was recognized by the organization as a World Fellow for his lifetime achievements. The Honorary Scala Lecture was started in 1980, and continues today.

A turning point in Dr. Scala's work started in 1972 when he became a Consulting Engineer in High Temperature Materials, High Strength Fibers and Composites, and took a position with the Cortland Line Company in Cortland, NY. His research was applicable to the growing industrial demand for composite materials, and he developed expertise on fly lines, fishing rods, tennis rackets and Kevlar lines, ropes and cables. In 1980 he founded and became President of the Cortland Cable Company (CCC), specializing in cable and rope engineering and manufacturing. CCC is currently the country's major manufacturer of lines, ropes and cables using the ultra high strength fibers of Kevlar, Technora, Twaron, Spectra and Vectran. Dr. Scala is credited for his work on CCC products that included a NASA space tether over 100km long, and a quarter million pounds of guys, moorings, and tow cables for air and marine applications. After a successful start-up Dr. Scala transferred ownership of CCC to his daughter, Ralda, and her husband, engineer John Stidd. Dr. Scala retired from his CCC technical consulting position with the company in 2005.

Pete pursued many interests throughout his professional and retirement years, combining his personal activities with his intellectual drive. He enjoyed sailing, owned boats in Maine and the Bahamas, completed his Celestial Navigation Certificate, and served as Commander and Full Navigator for the US Power Squadron. He was active in sports like racket ball and golf, was a life time member and supporter of the YMCA, and was a Board member and a Trustee with the Ithaca YMCA. Pete enjoyed drinking wine and took up wine making in the 1960s. The Scala Wine Cellars included Cayuga's best grapes and a scripture on the label: Take a little wine for thy stomachs sake and thine other Infirmities (St.Paul/Timothy V.23). Pete was committed to his citizenship and service and was a long time member of the American Legion. He was also active in the community with Ithaca Rotary and City Club, served as Director with SCORE of Tompkins County, and volunteered with the US Coast Guard Auxiliary, American Cancer Society, and the Republican Committee. At the age of 80 Pete completed the Elderhostel's Lewis and Clark Tour and presented a history travelogue on PowerPoint to the Ithaca Senior Center. Members still tell stories about the cooking classes that followed his Tuscany Food and Wine trip.

Pete is survived by his wife of 62 years, Phyllis E. Scala, 4 daughters and their families; Phyllis G. Scala, Ralda Adams and husband John Stidd, Elise Scala and husband Jere DeWaters, and Christine Gildow and husband Christopher Gildow, 6 grand children plus step-grand and great-grand children.

The family wishes to thank the staff of the Falmouth House, OceanView, CareTree Healthcare, Drs Thomas Morrione and James Harper, and Gail Meyers, for their care and support. Arrangements are being handled through Jones, Rich and Hutchins Funeral home in Portland Maine. To share your condolences, memories, and tributes with the Scala family please go to: http://www.jonesrichandhutchins.com.

A memorial service with military honors will be held in Maine, in Spring 2011.

In lieu of flowers please make donations in celebration of Pete's life to: YMCA of Ithaca & Tompkins County, 50 Graham Road West, Ithaca, NY 14850.