Emil Thomas Policay

Policay, Emil Thomas

Ithaca: Emil Thomas Policay, of 103 Bundy Road, Ithaca, passed away on Tuesday, June 5, 2012, at the age of 85. Emil was born on July 29, 1926 in Bayonne, NJ. After graduating from Bayonne Technical High School in 1943, Emil joined the US Navy in 1943 and attended the Navy V-5 Air Corp program at Drew University. This program was terminated in 1944 and he was transferred to the wartime Navy ROTC Program at Holy Cross College in Worcester, MA. He completed the program in 1946 and received a commission in the Navy and a Bachelor of Naval Science Degree. Emil served on active duty with the Navy during WWII, the Korean War, and Admiral Byrd's Antarctic Expedition 1946-1947 Operation Highjump. During this operation, his ship, USS Merrick AKA-97 entered the Bay of Whales, moored to the bay ice and unloaded the necessary equipment, supplies, and manpower required to build a base camp and air strip on the Ross Ice Shelf from which Admiral Byrd conducted his exploration and mapping of the continent. In between active duty periods, he was the Executive Officer of Navy Reserve Surface Division 3-33 in Jersey City, NJ. Emil is survived by his wife of 58 years, Elizabeth Jane Makely and their four children, Thomas (Barbara), Kevin (Barbara), MaryAnn Hart (Paul) and Elizabeth Hass (Eric). He is also survived by 7 grandchildren. In 1955, he received a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from New York University. Prior to his retirement in 1989, he was the Director of Physical Plant at Ithaca College for 20 years. Previous employers were Princeton University where he was Facilities Division Head for the Princeton Penn Accelerator located at the Forrestal Research Center, Merck & Co. at Rahway, NJ as construction engineer, Supervisor of Naval Shipbuilding in New York City as a Marine Engineer, Tide Water Assoc. Oil Co. in Bayonne, NJ as a Laboratory Assistant in the Engine Testing Lab. He was a registered, certified Professional Engineer in the states of New York, New Jersey, and Florida and a certified Plant Engineer and Fall Out Shelter Analyst. Emil was a Member Emeritus of the Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers, Past Faithful Navigator of the Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus Council 277 - Ithaca, member of the Order of Purple Knights at Holy Cross College, life member of the VFW and a life member of Old Antarctic Explorers Assoc. He was active in various community activities such as Somebody Cares in Whiting, NJ, Board of Health and Economic Development Commission in Middletown, NJ and Boy Scouts and United Way in Ithaca. Bangs Funeral Home is handling the private funeral service for the family. Per Emil's wishes, he will be cremated and his ashes sown in the ocean off Virginia Beach, VA. The family would like to thank the staff at Sterling House and Hospicare for their care of Emil. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Immaculate Conception Church or Hospicare.