David B. Manzolini

1945 - 2018

BORN

1945

DIED

2018

David Manzolini Obituary

David B. Manzolini, 73, of Sparta, TN was killed in an auto accident on November 25, 2018, in Dunlap, TN. A Pittsfield native, retired Captain of the USAF and Vietnam veteran, born March 1, 1945, the son of the late Bernard D. and Eunice C. Roscoe Manzolini.

David was a 1962 PHS graduate and a 1967 High Honor graduate of Lowell Technical Institute (ROTC) as an Air Force 2nd Lieutenant with a BS in Physics.

From 1967-71 he was stationed at Griffiss AFB in Rome, NY as a physicist and project officer in the Rome Air Development Center Intelligence & Reconnaissance Division where he designed and devloped the "Compass Eagle Acquisition System", a hybrid airborne night reconnaissance system with laser scanning and infrared detection designed for use in Southeast Asia. Lieutenant Manzolini was assigned to Tan Son Nhut Air Base in Vietnam in 1968 where the System he developed significantly advanced Air Force reconnaissance with its superior infrared capability.

Captain Manzolini retired from the AF July 1971 and continued as a civilian employee at the Rome Air Development Center's Air Force Systems Commands at Griffiss AFB.

On October 26, 1971, David was awarded the 1970 Harold Brown Award given in recognition of an individual's significant achievement in research and development that led to a substantial improvement in the operational effectiveness of the Air Force. The award was presented to David at the Pentagon by Secretary of the AF Robert C. Seamans, Jr., AF Chief of Staff General John D. Ryan, and former Secretary of the AF Harold Brown, after whom the award is named.

David's passion for inventing led to a U.S. Patent in 1989 for his Dynamoneter engine performance analyzer system for his business Depac Corp/Depac Dyno Systems.

David's enjoyment was in the fast lane on a race track-whether in his Sprint Car, Mine Indy car or Formula Super Vee, at Pocono Raceway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Milwaukee Mile, Watkins Glen, Micheline Raceway Road Atlanta, Michigan International Speedway, Williams Grove (PA), or Lebanon Valley Speedway. One of David's memorable moments was meeting Paul Newman after a race incident at Lime Rock, CT.

For quiet downtime David enjoyed piloting his 1947 twin engine Beach Baron plane and his collection of guns.

David is survived by his sisters, Helen V. Horton and Mary A. Manzolini, both of Berkshire, MA; a nephew Matthew D. (Traci Bennett) Horton, a niece Karen L. Horton (Jennifer Linscott), and several cousins.

David lived his life his way because to him there was no other way.

Burial will be private in the family plot in Southview Cemetary, North Adams, MA at the convenience of the family.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by The Berkshire Eagle on Mar. 1, 2019.

Memories and Condolences
for David Manzolini

Sponsored by The Berkshire Eagle.

7 Entries

Nick Carrado

March 26, 2021

I am so sorry to hear this.

Walter Lysenko

August 25, 2020

Here are some of my memories about Dave, whom I have known since elementary school. Dave was a good friend. He once drove me more than a hundred miles to an interview that I had. This was during a big snowstorm, and we were late. But so was everyone else, so it turned out fine. I didn't have a car then and I don't know what I would have done without Dave.

Dave invited me to go with his father to Lime Rock Park in Connecticut when he went to get his racing license. That was an interesting and memorable day. Sometime later, I saw Dave at his home with his race car. He offered to let me drive it on the street (cops were scarce in that area). As he was taking it off the trailer, he pointed out the dent made by Paul Newman in some race. Thanks to Dave, I can now say that I drove a race car that was involved in an incident with Paul Newman.

Dave was into ham radio, using military surplus equipment. I still remember his call sign, K1MCI. He also did a lot of building of electronic devices. We went on trips to electronics surplus shops in the Boston area. He helped me build the electronics for an induction heater I was making for a college project. I learned a lot from my association with Dave, not just about electronics but about cars and other things. Dave was involved in many things during our school years. He was a Boy Scout, built model airplanes, went hunting, worked in a machine shop, and played the accordion.

There was an estate sale near my Pittsfield house that Dave and I went to one day. He found and bought some very old books written by the famous scientist Oliver Heaviside. These were books meant for scientists. The house was larger than the others in the area, but that was still a highly unexpected find in our low-class neighborhood. I always wondered about that and thought only Dave would have made such a find.

Much of Dave's work in the Air Force (Vietnam and Rome, N.Y.) was classified, so he couldn't talk about that. But we did have many interesting conversations while he was working in Rome. He told me about a proposal to spend $200,000 to study the feasibility of doing something. But then Dave completed the project--not just a feasibility study, but the whole project--for $20,000 (I forgot the exact amount, but it was something ridiculously low like that). When Dave did something, he did it in style. He was so productive because not only he had a great mind, but he was also a hands-on guy. After thinking out a concept, he would do much of the work himself without going through any costly and time-consuming bureaucratic process. For his work, he got the Harold Brown Award, the highest Air Force award for scientific and engineering accomplishment.

Dave was reserved and humble but once raised some eyebrows when he was asked about the secret to his success. Instead of saying something politically correct, he said he did it by ignoring hindering and interfering rules. He did things his way and his way accomplished things that others couldn't.

Dave was exceptional even at an early age. I remember that in 5th or 6th grade, we had a baseball game between the two classes of the same grade at our school (Plunkett). It was a big event, but most students were relaxed and laid back. But not Dave. When it was his turn to bat, he approached the plate with a fierce stance that made it clear that he was going to hit the ball far harder than anyone else. And he did. He accomplishes everything he sets out to do.

In his Depac work, just as in the Air Force work, he developed concepts based on physics (he thought this was crucial, emphasizing this numerous times) and then built and tested the equipment himself. He was very successful with this approach. But a new thing was dealing with customers. He would complain that some customers would, without providing any other information, say something like "The printer doesn't work. What's wrong?"

After I had moved to New Mexico, I didn't see Dave much. He stopped at my place once when he was driving west in his van and I visited him (with my brother George) at his Rome Depac facility when I came to visit my parents in Pittsfield. But we had discussions about electronics by email (at one time I was making a 50kV power supply for a powder-coating system). He talked about how he used his airplane in his work, which, of course, he piloted himself. We even discussed politics in these later years. But not the usual boring stuff. Dave wanted to know why the communist-controlled newspaper Pravda was criticizing Obama voters. Good question! We never did figure that one out. Leave it to Dave to uncover the unusual and interesting. Recently, I took apart and reassembled an old Seiko 5 watch. This activity brought back memories of Dave because he got this watch for me when he was in Vietnam, so many years ago.

I regret that I didn't discuss with Dave the possibility of applying the ideas behind his Depac dynamometer to other kinds of measurements. Other applications, perhaps in the medical field, might have had a large impact. Dave was so focused on automobile racing, but I know he could have made significant advances in other fields as well.

I was very fortunate to have known Dave, an exceptionally good, intelligent, talented, and productive person.

Walter Lysenko
Albuquerque
[email protected]

George Lysenko

March 11, 2020

So sad to hear about Dave.

I have known Dave since the 50's. Dave was my older brother's (Walter) friend and they were classmates from 1st grade thru high school.

Dave and I attended Lowell Technology University at Lowell, Mass. in the mid 60's. We both were in ROTC program.

I remember one day when we hitch-hiked home from Lowell to our hometown Pittsfield, Mass. A nice man in a Corvair gave us a ride home across the entire state. Dave gave him money for gasoline even when not asked for it. That was just Dave!

Later, I totaled my old car in Lowell by hitting a telephone poll on slippery roads. Dave was the only person I knew to call, and he came out immediately in his 1961 black Simca to help me out and give me and my roommate a ride home, etc. I still to this day do not know who else I could have asked for help.

I remember Dave gifted me the USAF officer hat insignia and second lieutenant bars when I graduated the ROTC program and became an Air Force second lieutenant as he did a year before. I was surprised and will never forget his thoughtfulness and kindness.

Decades later in the early 90's Dave immensely helped me and my company when I was working for John Deere Engine Works in Dubuque, Iowa as an engine test engineer. I was given a near impossible task. Deere needed to measure peak torque of our diesel engines within a three minute hot test when running the engine from full to low speed at full throttle. My manager knew I had an ace in the hole--my brother's friend Dave. I still remember my manager telling me that he did not care if Dave was my friend and that this may be considered a conflict of interest. He said if Dave had something that no one else could offer and it would fulfill our needs, to get him in here now. After calling Dave, he flew from Rome, New York to Dubuque, Iowa with his Depac and tools and we worked together thru the weekend connecting his equipment to the dynamometer. Dave demonstrated on Monday to the engineering folks at Deere exactly how we could find peak torque on every engine by sweeping the engine from maximum to minimum speed in full load in ten second of time. Knowing peak torque of each engine was very important for having the performance for the backhoe loader that our plant also built. Dave proved what he promised was doable to all the skeptics and non-believers at my company. Within a few months we had all our hot test cells equipped with Depacs and quality of our engines increased significantly by finding performance issues in the test cell. For over a decade we measure peak torque, on every engine which totaled about half a million diesel engines until the engine factory was moved to Mexico in 2002.

Dave offered and gave so much to this world. Those who knew him will miss him greatly. I consider myself to be fortunate to have truly known Dave from a personal and professional perspective.

Dave was a very generous, honest, kind, dependable, trustworthy, and sincere person.

George Lysenko
[email protected]

Michael Thompson

March 15, 2019

David was a true innovator. He understood excellence by design and example. He was very forward thinking and didn't tolerate the status quo. I always appreciated his insight. He will be missed by an industry that needs more thinkers like him. Condolences to his family.

Steve Knapp

March 10, 2019

Dave Manzolini was my friend. I met him when he brought his first Depac Dyno System to Bertils RaceEngines in 1986. I came back to the shop in the evening and Dave's van windows were fogged over. I knocked on the van door, he opened and I asked him were he was staying. He said your looking at it! He stayed with me at my apartment until he was done with his work at Bertils. We have been friends ever since.
I started Elite Engines Inc in 1991 and Depac has been our choice since Day 1. Dave was incredibly smart. He always helped me when I needed his assistance.
The fall of of 2018 we were in discussions about his new Gen 5 System, and supplying them for a dyno we designed. He said thank you for getting me excited about Gen 5 again. I offered to help get the rest of his stuff to his new facility.
I got busy and the last I spoke to Dave was November 16th.
Now unfortunately I know why we have not communicated since. I have learned a lot from Dave and I would not be the man I am today with out Dave in my life. I will miss him tremendously. I have always believed in him.
Rest In Peace Dave, I loved knowing you.
Steve Knapp
Elite Engines Inc
West Bend, Wisconsin

Don and Marie Manzolini

March 2, 2019

Helen and Family,
Very sad news about Dave. You are in our thoughts and prayers and I hope you are well.

Colleen Boyle

March 1, 2019

So so sorry Helen and Mary. My thoughts and prayers go out to you.

Showing 1 - 7 of 7 results