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MK
In Memoriam

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our friend and colleague Michael Kovac following a valiant battle with cancer. Mike joined American Glass Research in 1969. Over the course of his 42 year career he became a world renowned expert in fracture diagnosis and container testing. He had a unique talent for recognizing the underlying cause of the most difficult problems by taking fresh views of the situation, being creative in his thinking and considering all the details of the issue.  He authored multiple papers relating to glass container performance and failure analysis. He taught fracture and design seminars in more than 30 different countries and despite retirement in 2011 he remains, to this day, one of the most recognizable and beloved figures in the industry.

He will be missed by his colleagues for the kindness, patience and compassion he showed everyone. He was without peer in his ability to relate to his customers while solving their technical problems.

All those who met him were made richer by that encounter. We would be well served to honor his memory by striving to embody the best qualities of Mike Kovac in our daily interactions with one another. Certainly the world would be better for it.