John H. Midney

John H. Midney of West Hartford, CT, beloved husband of Kathryn (Michaels) “Kitty” Midney for 65 years, died on Wednesday, July 11, 2018 at Brookdale-Chatfield in West Hartford. John was born July 26, 1922 in Bridgeport, CT to Henry and Mary (Showah) Midney. He attended Bridgeport public schools, graduating in 1939 from Warren Harding High School. He was a veteran of World War II, having enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve while studying engineering at Cornell University. After entry into active service in 1943 and his completion of the Army Specialized Training Program at Lehigh University, he was privileged to be assigned to the Special Engineer Detachment of the Manhattan District Corps of Engineers, for duty at the top-secret Los Alamos, New Mexico facility. He worked initially as a technical assistant to laboratory scientific personnel on the design, construction and operation of the world’s first enriched uranium reactor (code name “Water Boiler) for experimentally verifying theoretical calculations as to the critical mass of enriched uranium for a sustained chain reaction. He was later closely involved in the development and production of the critical detonator assemblies for plutonium implosion type atomic bomb. Following the Japanese surrender, he was honored to be awarded a certificate bearing the signature of the Secretary of War, Henry Stimson, which states that he “has participated in work essential to the production of the atomic bomb, thereby contributing to the successful conclusion of World War II. This certificate was awarded in appreciation of effective service.” Following his Army discharge, he resumed his engineering studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and received the B.S. Degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1947 and was elected to Tau Beta Pi and Sigma Xi National Honor Societies. His engineering employment was principally as an aircraft power plant specialist with the Chance-Vought and Sikorsky units of United Aircraft Corporation. He subsequently attended the Yale Law School graduating in 1959 and was employed as a patent attorney at the American Can Co. in New York City and the Bullard Co. in Bridgeport, CT prior to joining Emhart Corp. (Bloomfield, CT) in 1970 where, until his retirement in 1986, he held the positions of General Attorney and Assistant Secretary. He was a registered Professional Engineer in the state of Connecticut and a member of the Connecticut Bar and American Bar Association and was registered to practice before the U.S. Patent Office. In his youth, he very much enjoyed winter sports, especially ice dance figure skating, through which he met his wife, Kitty, and as an ice dance team they competed with some success representing the New Haven, Southern Connecticut, Southport and Bridgeport Skating Clubs. He was a member of the United States Figure Skating Association. During his retirement, he was a long-time member of the Hartford Obedience Club and gained much pleasure training and participating in American Kennel Club Obedience Trials with his wonderful dachshund dogs, Rudi and Willi. He took great pride in their achieving the titles of “Utility Dog” and “Companion Dog Excellent” respectively. He is survived by his wife Kitty of West Hartford and his son Thomas Midney and daughter-in-law, Sherri Midney, and his cherished grandchildren, Patrick Midney and Kayla Midney, all of Bloomfield, CT. He is also survived by his sister Antoinette Wedge of Killingworth, CT and his brother-in-law Francis Lyon of Fairfield, CT, and his special in-laws, Diane and Andrew Prucinsky of Bridgeport, CT as well as many nieces and nephews, and grandnieces and grandnephews. He was predeceased by his brother, Nicholas, and sister-in-law, Joan Midney, and his sisters Jennie Kalakay and Alice Lyon. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, July 26, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. at the Taylor & Modeen Funeral Home, 136 South Main Street, West Hartford, CT. Burial will be private at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or a charity of the donor’s choice. The family offers its deepest gratitude to the wonderful staffs at Brookdale-Chatfield (Memory Unit) and Beacon Hospice for their kind, loving and compassionate care of John during his illness. For directions and online condolences, please visit www.taylorandmodeen.com.