Bernard Cerutti

Bernard Cerutti died on August 22, 2010. He was being cared for at the Hospice Care Center in Madison. He was born on December 29, 1921 to Natalie (Nat) and Mary Buening Cerutti in Fennimore, Wisconsin. The family moved to Dodgeville, Wisconsin where he grew up and he graduated from high school in 1939. He attended the University of Wisconsin and graduated with a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1943. He married Kathleen O'Connell of Madison on January 22, 1944 at Blessed Sacrament Church in Madison. He started his professional career with the Chrysler Corporation at their plant in Chicago, building engines for the B-29 bomber. Following the war, he worked for a design firm in Chicago, and later for the Tucker Automobile Corporation as a project engineer designing the engine hydraulic valve actuating system. In 1948 he joined Argonne National Laboratory in Chicago where he designed the control and safety drive systems for the Experimental Breeder Reactor #1. Following completion of the design, construction of the reactor was moved to Idaho at the Atomic Energy Testing Station located west of Idaho Falls. This reactor generated the world's first useful electricity from atomic power on December 20, 1951. During the following years, Bernie worked on several other reactor projects until his retirement from Argonne in 1981. While living in Idaho Falls, he belonged to Christ the King Catholic Church, the Knights of Columbus, the Elks Club, The American Nuclear Society and the Idaho Falls Golf Association. He enjoyed many family camping trips throughout the west and later designed and built a summer cabin in Star Valley, Wyoming where the family vacationed for many years. He was an avid woodworker and enjoyed reading, golf, hunting and fishing. In 2001 he and his wife moved back to Madison, Wisconsin and became members of St. Maria Goretti Parish where funeral services will be held on August 26^th, with visitation at 10:00 AM followed by Mass at 11:00 AM. He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, William (Bill) and Francis. Survivors are his wife, Kathleen, a son, Patrick (Dee) of Spokane, WA, a daughter, Margaret (Thomas) McGarrity of Briarcliff Manor, NY, four grandchildren, Susan (Cerutti) Jensen of Spokane, WA, Gina (Cerutti) Smith of Beaverton, OR, Beth McGarrity of Silver Spring, MD, Thomas McGarrity of New York, NY and a great-granddaughter, Lindsey Smith. He is also survived by his brother Roger (Betsy) of Madison and many nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers the family suggests contributions to Hospice Care, Inc., St. Maria Goretti Parish, or Edgewood College, all of Madison, Wisconsin.