Engineering exec traveled for U.S. Steel
Feb. 25, 1925 - May 15, 2019
Chester Amatangelo epitomized the Greatest Generation.
The son of Italian immigrants who earned two master’s degrees and rose to the executive ranks at U.S. Steel, Mr. Amatangelo also proudly served his country in World War II.
“He was the first one and the only one in his family who actually got to go to college,” said Mr. Amatangelo’s daughter Rebecca A. Amatangelo, of Washington, D.C. “It was a very unique situation for someone coming out of the Mon Valley.”
Mr. Amatangelo, 94, of Rosslyn Farms, died Wednesday of congestive heart failure.
He grew up in Donora, where most of the men in his family worked in one of the steel mills. In an autobiographical record he wrote for his family, Mr. Amatangelo explained that he hoped to work in an office but never expected to attend college.
But he excelled at math and was urged by his mother and high school principal to apply to the University of Pittsburgh to major in electrical engineering.
“He was surprised that he was going to college,” said his son Matthew Amatangelo, of Austin, Texas. “His mother had saved money for college under her mattress, literally.”
After graduating from Donora High School in 1943, he started classes at Pitt, but his academic career was sidelined for a time by World War II.
Mr. Amatangelo served in the Navy from 1944 to 1946, first in a training program at the Navy Pier in Chicago, then with a construction battalion in the Philippines.
He graduated from Pitt with a bachelor’s degree in 1948 and then a master’s degree in electrical engineering two years later.
In 1950, he went to work at U.S. Steel as an engineering trainee with a salary of $258 per month.
But he aspired to be “more than just an engineer,” Mr. Amatangelo wrote in his autobiography, and he continued his studies at what is now Carnegie Mellon University, earning a master’s degree in industrial administration in 1955.
He returned to U.S. Steel and was appointed general manager of power and fuel in the firm’s engineering department.
By 1964, Mr. Amatangelo was working in a billion-dollar expansion of the company, traveling to oversee construction at plants in eastern Pennsylvania, Birmingham, Ala., and Gary, Ind.
“He traveled a lot,” Rebecca Amatangelo said. “It was all about efficiency and making steel plants more effective and efficient.”
During a Fourth of July vacation in 1952, Mr. Amatangelo met Helen Skiles, and they were married in October 1955. She and Mr. Amatangelo had five children before she died in 1978.
In March 1981, Mr. Amatangelo married Barbara Eubanks, whom he met during a business trip to Birmingham.
Although their father was a busy executive with a substantial commute between Downtown and their home in Carroll, Washington County, before it was in Hampton, he was a big part of their lives growing up, his children said.
“There was no hobby for him but family,” said his son David Amatangelo, of Brooklyn, N.Y. “He was very devoted to the whole family.”
Mr. Amatangelo volunteered with the parentteacher organization at his children’s elementary school, served as a board member for the newly formed St. Philip Neri School in 1966 and helped with homework and Boy Scouts as they grew older.
“He probably deserved Eagle Scout more than I did,” said his son Matthew, laughing at the memory. “He got up early and worked late — sometimes he wouldn’t get home until 7:30.”
“When he got home, the whole family would sit down and eat,” remembered his daughter Roberta A. Bauer, of Pittsburgh. “It was strictly family time.”
“Literally, he would go around and ask everyone how we spent our day,” his daughter Rebecca said. “It was all about the conversation and everyone getting to share their day.”
Homework time was sacrosanct, his children recalled.
“Our dad always helped us with our homework,” said his daughter Marie Elena Amatangelo, of Washington, D.C. “He knew the meaning and importance of education. He saw how it worked for him and he was going to make sure his children would benefit from his experience.”
His devotion to family extended to Mr. Amatangelo’s three grandchildren as well.
“He went to every single practice, dance recital and sporting event,” his daughter Roberta said.
Mr. Amatangelo accepted an early retirement from U.S. Steel in 1983 but found himself restless and went to work in 1985 at the Peter J. Schmitt Co. in Buffalo, N.Y.
By 1990, he had returned to the Pittsburgh area and retired for good.
His children said they would miss Sunday dinners with Mr. Amatangelo, who especially loved rigatoni and loved to laugh.
“The biggest thrill to me was getting my dad to laugh,” his son David said. “He had the best laugh.”
Along with his wife, children and grandchildren, Mr. Amatangelo is survived by a sister, Evelyn Christina, of Woodstock, Ga.
His funeral was Saturday.
Memorial donations are suggested to the International Refugee Assistance Project at: refugeerights.org.