Paul Nuschke

Paul Louis Nuschke, career Navy officer, ship builder, husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather, passed away at 7:30 p.m. April 21, 2014 at his home at Penn National in Fayetteville, Pennsylvania. He was 92.

Present at his death were his wife of 67 years, Thelma Louise Brumley of Bogota, Texas, his surviving children and extended family. He was loved, honored, and respected for his devotion to his family, his country, and the U.S. Navy.

Born September 7, 1921 in Olean, NY, Mr. Nuschke spent his early years in Austin, PA, later moving to the Harrisburg and Carlisle areas. He said that the greatest thing that ever happened to him, next to finding and marrying his wife, was receiving his commission from the State of Pennsylvania to the U.S Naval Academy in 1941.

He graduated on June 7, 1944 with the Class of ‘45, thus beginning a career in the U.S. Navy serving in the South Pacific that included the Okinawa Campaign at Tokyo Bay and subsequent sea assignments on Destroyer type ships. He commanded three ships: USS Dealey (DE1006), USS Lloyd Thomas (DDE 764) and the USS Isle Royale (AD29). In 1951, he was selected for advanced training in Weapons Engineering at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering in 1953. A year later he secured his Masters of Science from MIT in Cambridge, MA in 1954. His advanced training resulted in several tours of duty in the Underwater Weapons and Controls Program of the Navy Bureau of Weapons. He also graduated from the National War College in Washington, D.C. in 1968. During his Naval career he was awarded the American Defense Service Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with four stars, the WWII Victory Medal, the Navy Occupation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal with one star, the Philippine Liberation Ribbon with one star, and the Navy Commendation Medal.

Having attained the rank of Captain, Mr. Nuschke retired from the U.S. Navy on July 1, 1970. He joined Litton Systems Inc. as a Project Engineer on a new program to design and build 30 new destroyers for the U.S. Navy. He advanced to Director of Ship Construction for Destroyer Programs before his retirement from Litton in 1980 at the completion of the Spruance Class program.

Thelma Brumley of Bogata, Texas became his life-long “shipmate” when they wed in 1946. Surviving Mr. Nuschke are his wife and two of his three children, Paula Alford of Great Falls, VA, and David Nuschke of Enola, PA. His third child, Walter Nuschke of Waynesboro, PA predeceased him December 20, 2013 following a heroic battle against cancer. He also leaves behind eight grandchildren and six great grandchildren.

At his request services will be private. Inurnment with military honors will be in the Columbarium at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD at 1:00 PM on Monday, May 12, 2014.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Mr. Nuschke’s name may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project at www.support.woundedwarriorproject.org or to Birdies for the Brave, 100 PGA TOUR Blvd., Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082