Dewey was a  classmate and I was honored to serve in his wedding party.  He was a man of greater depth and thoughtfulness than may have first met the eye.  I enjoyed meeting and talking with him and his wife during the last couple of reunions and will miss him at future reunions.  My deepest condolences to his family and friends.

Dewey and I have been friends since our freshman year at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California in 1970.

During his professional career, Dewey was a well-travelled, world famous chemist and chemical engineer, specializing in the various properties of industrial lubricants, and solving his customers' problems throughout the United States, Asia and beyond.

Recently, Dewey had advised me regarding complex lubricant viscosity issues, but refused any offers of financial compensation for his contributions, preferring instead the simple joy and satisfaction of problem-solving.

As a loving, devoted family man, Dewey was extremely proud of his wife and daughters, and happily supported them throughout their lives.  However, in his later years when he in turn needed family the most, they were there for him and he enjoyed the blessings of their love and support.

Dewey was a good friend and suite-neighbor in college, and we enjoyed visiting with him at our last college reunion.  Despite his health issues, he was so encouraging and warm, sharing his travel experiences with us as we approach our own 50th wedding anniversary.  Based on a combination of our own long-standing bucket list and his personal experiences and encouragement, we have planned a once-in-a-lifetime trip to South America.  We will be remembering him and his love of life as we make that trip, and we will miss seeing him at future reunions.  Thank you, Dewey.  You were a very special person, and we will not forget you.

Dewey was my roommate at Harvey Mudd College sophomore year, 1971-72. We had been in touch the last few years, mostly about investing; he had an interesting data-based method for diversification. I tried and failed to get him to buy some Bitcoin. I saw him at our 50th Reunion in April, 2024. RIP, Dewey.

I knew Dewey from my Pennzoil days.  I enjoyed working with him. He  epitomized the meaning of persistence and perseverance with his coworkers to get things done. He also had a very good sense of humor to make people at ease around him. He will be sorely missed by those who knew him. May he rest in peace…with my heartfelt sympathy to his family.

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Dewey Szemenyei

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OBITUARY

Dewey Paul Szemenyei Jr.

December 5, 1951 – November 21, 2024

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