Memorial: Ms. Brown-Simpkins

A memorial for Janice Brown-Simpkins, a financial systems support specialist in the Comptroller’s Office, will be held on Wednesday, April 23, from 3:30-5 p.m., in The ARCH. Ms. Brown-Simpkins passed away February 7 at age 40 (Almanac February 25, 2014).

Mr. Cutrufello, Physical Plant

Samuel J. Cutrufello, a retired maintenance and utilities scheduler in the physical plant (now Facilities), passed away February 15 at age 84.

Mr. Cutrufello began working at Penn in 1949 as a roofer’s helper in buildings and grounds. After serving in the Korean War, he worked as an electrician and eventually became a scheduler, where he manned the Physical Plant hot line for reporting facility complaints. In 1959, Mr. Cutrufello began bartending when asked to help out at a party at the new Faculty Club, now the University Club at Penn. He continued bartending there a few nights a week and elsewhere on campus (Almanac January 24, 1980). Mr. Cutrufello chaired the 25-Year Club in 1988-1989. He retired in the early 1990s, after serving the University for over 40 years.

Mr. Cutrufello is survived by his children, Justine Botial, Matthew Cutrufello and Rosemarie Cutrufello, a field business administrator in SAS Finance; a brother, Anthony; 12 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Donations may be made to the Abramson Cancer Center or the Penn Medicine’s Memory Center, Attn: Penn Medicine Development, 3535 Market St., Ste. 750, Philadelphia, PA 19104, with check payable to “Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania” or www.pennmedicine.org/giving/

John Derrickson, Sr., retired instrumentation specialist in the departments of physics & astronomy and chemistry, passed away March 31 at age 80.

Beginning in 1953, Mr. Derrickson provided welding services for the Physical Sciences Machine Shop, a multipurpose machining facility. He designed new equipment and provided mechanical drawings. After retiring in 1996, he worked part-time for the department of chemistry, supervising and administering training courses in their Student Shop until 2002.

Mr. Derrickson is survived by his wife, Norma; sons, John, Edward, Richard and Andrew; six grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and his sister, Lorraine Shiels.