Joseph R. Lance

Joseph R. Lance, 82, of Springdale, passed away Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019. He was born and raised in Braddock, the son of the late Joseph F. Lance and Matilda (Zygmunt) Lance. He is survived by his wife, Patricia Lynne (Jones) Lance; three sons, Lawrence, of Buckhannon, W.Va., Christopher (Laura), of Duncansville, and Patrick (Angie), of Covington, Ky.; four grandchildren; sisters, Dorothy (Lance) Gray, of Murrysville, and Elizabeth (Lance) Sharp, of Anna, Texas; and numerous cousins. Joe was predeceased by his sister, Mary Ann Lance, and in 1998 by his first wife of 37 years, Theresa (Curran) Lance. Joe earned a bachelor of science in engineering at the University of Pittsburgh and a master of science at the Carnegie Institute of Technology. Joe had an eclectic career at Westinghouse, working on projects as diverse as nuclear rocket engines and artificial hearts. He received two patents for artificial hearts, sharing one of the patents with coworkers. He worked on fuel cells and renewable energy technologies including wind, solar and wave energy. His work included economic and reliability analyses of renewables as well as fossil and nuclear power plants. He provided a study to the Department of Energy that led to the initial funding of a military base nuclear power plant design that eventually evolved into the current Westinghouse commercial Nuclear Power Plant design. He also worked on space nuclear power for exploration and ballistic missile defense. Joe also did Mars mission studies comparing conventional and nuclear rocket engine propulsion methods. He designed an electrical power system for a Department of Energy test facility and directed a safety evaluation of the same facility. During his Westinghouse career, Joe wrote numerous patent disclosures and published many technical papers that he presented at professional conferences. His professional affiliations included: the American Society of Mechanical Engineers; the American Society for Artificial Internal Organs; Sigma XI; and the Symposia for the Engineering Aspects of Magnetohydrodynamics. Joe retired from Westinghouse in 1994 as an advisory engineer, then spent several years consulting in electrical and magnetohydrodynamic submarine propulsion and nuclear fusion power generation. In earlier years, Joe was an Army reservist. He was a past president of The Greater Norwin Jaycee chapter. Joe made many life-long friends during his Westinghouse years. He especially enjoyed playing serious poker for 40 years with a Westinghouse group he called his "brain trust". He was a fan of Formula 1 and Indy Car open wheel auto racing. The biennial reunions of his Talbot Avenue cousins and their families were always very special occasions for him. He greatly enjoyed the love and companionship of his wife, Patricia Lynne, during his later years and said she was proof that "somebody up there likes me." Family and friends will be received for visitation from 2 to 4 p.m. today, Friday, Nov. 22, 2019, in THE CHARLES B. JARVIE SPRINGDALE FUNERAL HOME INC., 801 Pittsburgh St. His celebration of life memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019, in The Springdale United Methodist Church with his pastor, Jerry Pawloski, officiating. Burial will be private. www.jarviefuneralhome.com.

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