Nicholas Ratti, Jr., aged 93, passed away in Newport, Rhode Island. Until the end of his life he devotedly cared for his beloved wife, Audrey. Nicholas was born on May 2, 1931 in Cleveland, Ohio. There, he met Audrey and they married on March 3, 1953.

Nicholas graduated Tau Beta Phi in Electrical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University in 1957, then served in the U.S. Marine Corps as a communication specialist in the Korean War.

Early in his career Nicholas worked as an Electrical Engineer at General Electric in North East, PA. He then moved to Cleveland to join Lear Siegler’s aerospace division where he designed the starter motor for NASA’s Gemini rocket.

Later, Nicholas joined the locomotive division at GE in Erie, PA where he was one of the first collaborators with engineers from China. Nicholas retired from GE after 25 years.

Nicholas involved his family in numerous interesting activities, such as car rallying, sailboat building and sailing. Nick’s artistic sensibility permeated his thinking. He possessed a keen ear for classical music and a particular love of Brahms and the Cleveland Orchestra.

He and Audrey purchased paintings and he taught his family to build a wooden Mirror Dinghy sailboat. Nicholas valued civic engagement and volunteered with the Boy Scouts, earning the Silver Beaver Award.

A nature lover, Nicholas adored trees and taught his children to graft scions from apple trees. His appreciation of old design and sailing led him to retire with Audrey first in Chatauqua, NY and then ultimately to Bristol, RI, where he enjoyed the rich culture and natural beauty of each location. While in Bristol, Nicholas expressed his conservative, pragmatic approach to local and state economic and energy issues through his frequently published letters to the editor in the Providence Journal and in the Bristol Phoenix.

He championed the working class and was a frequent guest presenter of his research at Town Council meetings and the State House. Nicholas’ values of civic engagement, responsibility and education extended to his volunteering with the Boy Scouts in Fairview, PA, where he earned the Silver Beaver Award, and to his opening of a summer swim program at Fairview High School.

Nicholas is survived by his wife of 71 years, Audrey Jane (Troyan), a son, David, two daughters Carla and Lisa, and two grandsons, Alex and Jack Boyle.