Andrew Glassanos

Andrew Glassanos "Andy" 1924-2011Former General Electric Company Executive PITTSFIELD Andrew "Andy" Glassanos, 87, formerly of Pittsfield, passed away peacefully on March 1, 2011, in Hingham. He was born on February 10, 1924 in Springfield, to Peter and Katina (Bavelas) Glassanos, proud immigrants from Greece. His parents, two brothers, Ted and Chris, and two sisters, Peggy and Sadie, preceded him in death. Glassanos spent his early years in Springfield and graduated from Springfield Technical High School in 1941. He enlisted in the Naval Air Force in December 1942, and upon completion of flight training at Pensacola, Fla., he was Commissioned as an Officer and awarded his Navy Wings. He served as a Naval Aviator until his honorable discharge in December 1945. On June 26, 1948, he married Isabel "Pinky" Greenbush in Adams. He attended Tufts University in Medford, under the GI Bill and received a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in 1951. He spent his entire thirty-five year career with the General Electric Company, starting as an apprentice draftsman in Pittsfield before World War II. Following college, he returned to Pittsfield and accepted a position as a design engineer with GE's Power Transformer Division. For many years he taught a course in transformer fundamentals to help key employees better understand the division's products. In the early 1960s Glassanos served on a company task force that directed GE's entry into the high voltage direct current transmission business. In 1962 he was named Manager of Inductive Products Engineering and later became a Product Planner in marketing. In 1966 he was appointed Manager of Development Engineering and in 1967 he was promoted to Manager of Engineering with overall technical responsibility for the Power Transformer business. He was a member of the facilities team that recommended and implemented the construction of Building 100, establishing Pittsfield as the world leader in power transformer manufacturing facilities. In 1972 Glassanos headed the multi-functional MARK III Program, a major effort to improve product reliability and performance. In 1974 he was appointed to manage the High Voltage DC Compact Substation Project in New York City. Sponsored jointly by GE and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), the research arm of the electric utility industry, its purpose was to develop advance technologies for high voltage direct current transmission applications in urban areas. Under this program he headed design teams both in Pittsfield, and in Philadelphia, Pa. In 1977, Glassanos became Manager of Strategic Planning for the Transformer Division, consisting of the transformer businesses in Pittsfield; Rome, Georgia; and Hickory, North Carolina. His responsibilities encompassed the division's technical resources, including the High Voltage Research Project in Lenox. In his last years at GE, he also had responsibility for international agreements and beneficial joint relationships with Russia, Japan, China and other manufacturers in need of transformer technology. He retired from GE in 1985. Glassanos, a Registered Professional Engineer, was well known and respected in the industry. He was the recipient of two GE Managerial Awards, the owner of four US Patents, and the author of numerous technical papers and articles. He was active in a number of professional societies, including 1) the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), 2) the International Conference on High Voltage Research (Cigre), 3) the Elfun Society, 4) the General Electric Management Association, and 5) Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society. Glassanos also had a number of interests outside of work. He was an avid golfer, on a constant quest to lower his handicap; he was a life-long member of the Wahconah Country Club and a member of the Lochmoor Country Club of Fort Myers, Fla., where he and his wife spent many winters following his retirement. He belonged to the YMCA Health Club (where he enjoyed racquetball in his younger years), the Quality Control Committee of HospiceCare in The Berkshires, and was also a Vigil Member in the Boy Scouts Order of the Arrow, and a former Trustee of the Karl B. McEachron Scholarship Trust. After retirement, Glassanos embraced woodworking as a hobby and produced many fine pieces of furniture, still enjoyed by family members. Three years ago, he and his wife moved to Hingham to be closer to their children. His family and friends will miss his warmth, cheerful smile, and wise advice. He is survived by his loving and devoted wife, Pinky, by four children, Andrew J. (Chip) and his wife Barbara of Sunnyvale, Calif.; Philip and his wife Marianne of Hingham, Mass.; Catherine of Hanover, Mass.; and Thomas and his wife Debby of Pleasanton, Calif.; and by six grandchildren, Daniel Glassanos of Dallas, Texas; David Glassanos of Kansas City, Missouri; Brian Glassanos of Sunnyvale, Calif.; Cara Hills and her husband Mark of London, England; Laura Glassanos of South Boston, Mass.; and Matthew Glassanos of Pleasanton, Calif. FUNERAL NOTICE: Calling hours will be Sunday, 4 to 7 p.m., at the Dery Funeral Home in Pittsfield. A funeral mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Monday, March 7, at Sacred Heart Church in Pittsfield. In lieu of flowers, you may honor Andy's memory by sending donations to Sacred Heart Church, 191 Elm Street, Pittsfield, Massachusetts 01201 (www.thepinkchurch.com) or to HospiceCare in The Berkshires, Inc., 877 South Street Suite 1W, Pittsfield, Massachusetts 01201 (www.hcib.org).