Joseph Ronald Wetch

Joe was a good friend and a nice man with lots of enthusiasm.

Joe was areally great guy. He and I worked together for several years at Atomics International in Downey and Canoga Park, CA. I was shoked to learn belatedly of his passing. My condolences to his family and may he now restin peace,

23 June, 2009
Dear friends,
A one-of-a-kind guy - Joe Wetch - passed from among us. He was one of the leading experts who developed in the US a thermoelectric space nuclear power system SNAP 10A. I first met him twenty years ago at the Space Nuclear Systems Conference in Albuquerque, NM. He, with his energy, vehemence, restlessness realized at that time that Russians are ahead, and it is possible and necessary to work together. He took over the hardest task - cooperation with...

I was sad to hear about Joe. He was the best boss I ever had. While working at Space Power I was constantly challenged to solve the day’s problem. Joe cracked me up with his candor about anything. Joe would almost always speak his mind about everything. In many ways my experience at Space Power put me where i am today. Thank You Joe! See you again someday. Talk like you got a billion.

I was glad to share memories of Joe with SPIans and Joe's family and friends last Saturday at Joe's memorial service. Even though I still miss Joe much, it was obvious that Joe lived his life FULLY, judging from what we heard from the attendees there. Joe was my 1st and best boss ever. I learned a lot from him. Thank you Joe for the fond memories. Rest well in eternity.

Joe I Love you and really Miss you

7/13/09

I was so sorry to hear about Joe. My relationship goes back 50+ years, when he hired me into Atomics International out of the Univ of Michigan, back in February of 1958. He was my first "real" boss! What a piece of luck for me! I subsequently became one of his supervisors whose job (together with a couple of other guys in my group) was to try to figure out what was wrong with his "idea-of-the-day" (he came in almost every day with a new one). I can't remember having more...

Few knew that Joe was an avid tennis player as well as a great scientist.

I met Joe on the court and we became friends quickly. Our political views differed which led to many great conversations and he was always willing to see more than one view of things.
We worked on promoting nuclear energy together and to the end he as tireless about contributing to its advancement. I will miss him.