Michael J. Szady ’90

Mike Szady, a resident of Hamilton, Mass., died of cancer May 16, 2012.

At Princeton, Mike played defensive tackle on the football team through his junior year, when he was forced to stop playing due to migraines. He majored in chemical engineering and was a member of Rockefeller College and Charter Club.

After Princeton, he earned a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from MIT in 1995. He bypassed academics to focus on a business career, where he could see the tangible results of his efforts.

Mike was enthusiastic about life and was always up for more, whether with family and friends, academics, or work. He truly lived his life according to the motto, “Finish what you start!” Mike loved both participating in and watching sports, especially when his daughters played.

Those who knew Mike will remember him as exceptionally bright, joyful, intense, ingenious, and irrepressible. Those who knew him best will be forever touched by his warmth, his sincerity, his understated compassion, and his steadfast loyalty.

His legacy will live on in his daughters, Cecily (12) and Sophia (10); his wife, Ivana; his parents, David and Peg; brothers Kevin and Brian; and his many friends.