Obituary of Dierk H. Rakula

Dierk H. Rakula, 86, of Upper Providence Township, Media, PA, and formerly of Drexel Hill, PA, died Saturday, April 19, 2014, at home. Mr. Rakula was born in the village of Oberohe, near Hanover in Northern Germany, and attended school in Berlin. At the age of 15, Dierk was drafted into the German Air Force and taken prisoner of war on the Russian front. He spent 4 ½ years at Transcaucasion S.S.R. Prison Camp, and at the end of the war returned to Germany, where he finished high school. Dierk immigrated to the United States in 1950, residing in Hatboro, PA, where his father was a scientist employed by the US Navy. Dierk entered Drexel University, as a co-op student and worked for Yale and Towne, as a draftsman. In 1955, Dierk received a BS Degree in Mechanical Engineering, and then began working with Yale and Towne's Philadelphia Industrial Truck Division. He designed trucks 20,000 pounds and over, as a Design Engineer. Dierk entered Drexel University Evening Division and in 1958, he received a Master's in Mechanical Engineering. Dierk worked with Clifton Precision (Litton Industries and now Moog, Inc.) for 53 years, and was the Director of Engineering, and working most recently as a Consultant. Dierk was a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. A creative person, he enjoyed painting, woodworking and copper sculpture. Dierk was devoted to his family and most of all, cherished spending time with loved ones. SURVIVORS Wife: Margaret (Raetze) Rakula Loving Opa to: Nancy Fulton Johnson (Craig), Douglas Fulton (Jeanne) and Wayne Fulton (Linda) Seven Grandchildren Two Great-Grandchildren Niece: Tracy Merson Gray (Dean) Nephew: Gary Merson (Cheryl) Two Grand-Nieces Memorial Contributions may be donated in memory of Dierk Rakula to Covenant House, 461 8th Avenue, New York NY 10001