Jozsef Bodig

Jozsef Bodig, 73, passed away Sept. 12, 2007, at his residence. A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Monday at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, 5450 S. Lemay Ave., Fort Collins. He was born in Gonc, Hungary, on Jan. 20, 1934, the son of Matyas and Maria Bodig. He spent his younger years in Gonc before working as a pattern maker in a steel mill in Diosgyor. He finished high school in an accelerated program and enrolled at the University of Sopron in a forest engineering program. During the uprising against communism, his school left Hungary and immigrated to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In 1959, he graduated from the University of British Columbia with a double degree: bachelor of science in forestry and forest engineering. He continued his studies at the University of Washington, earning a master of forestry in wood technology in 1961 and a doctorate in forest products with a minor in structural engineering in 1963. He married Verna Jean West in Seattle, Wash., on July 14, 1962, and moved to Fort Collins in 1963, when he joined the Department of Forest Management and Wood Science of Colorado State University. He taught courses on wood mechanics, design of wood structures, and bonding and finishing of wood products, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels for 27 years. He had over 160 technical publications, including the senior authorship of the only textbook written in the past 40 years on the subject of "Mechanics of Wood and Wood Composites." He conducted numerous research projects on the engineering properties of wood products. He was well-known internationally for his pioneering work on the design properties of wood structures. Dr. Bodig received numerous awards for his work in wood science, including an honorary doctoral degree from the University of Forestry and Timber Engineering of Hungary and the Wood Engineering Lifetime Achievement Award from the Forest Products Society in 2004. At the time of his death, he was emeritus professor of wood science and civil engineering at Colorado State University. In 1982, he co-founded Engineering Data Management Inc., a consulting firm currently EDM International. He retired from CSU in 1989 and managed EDM International until his second retirement in 1999. He was consultant to several hundred wood product manufacturing, construction and engineering firms. He continued his research and consulting work on utility line structures well into his retirement. Dr. Bodig was active in the Fort Collins soccer program. He coached the CSU men's soccer team for nearly 20 years. He was instrumental in helping to establish the Fort Collins Soccer Club and the city's high school soccer program at the time when soccer was in its infancy in Fort Collins. He was also a certified soccer referee. He was active in his Catholic religion; he was a founding member of Blessed John XXIII University Center and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish. He served in various functions of the Wild Goose Ranch Homeowners Association and served as its president on two occasions. His favorite pastimes included gardening, hiking, fishing and woodworking. Jozsef is survived by his wife, Verna; his daughter, Ilona Gary Green of Windsor; his sons, Marcus Justine Bodig of Fort Collins and Peter of Durango; grandchildren, Joshua, Ashley, Hannah, Ayla and Jacob. He is also survived by his younger brother, Matyas; two nephews; and other family in Hungary. Memorial donations may be made to the Fort Collins Soccer Club or Hospice of Larimer County, in care of Bohlender Funeral Chapel. Friends may send condolences to the family at www.bohlenderfuneralchapel.com .