Louis R. Pochettino

Beloved husband, father and grandfather, Louis R. Pochettino, passed away peacefully at his home in Gulph Mills, Pennsylvania on Friday, March 18, 2022. He was 86 years old. Born in Union City, NJ on March 9, 1936, he was the son of the late Louis Raymond and Leontine (Maggia) Pochettino. Louis attended St. Peters Prep, and then went on to earn a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology. He soon became a pioneer in the aerospace field and worked for the G.E. Aerospace Division for over 30 years until his retirement. Louis was most known for and proud of his work as the Program Manager of the Pioneer Venus Project and Galileo Mission to Jupiter. For this work, he was awarded both the NASA Public Service Medal and the NASA Distinguished Service Medal. Louis was a true history buff and was an ardent reader and learner of history. He could recite many pertinent historical facts off the top of his head and put them in a context that would really make one think how they related to the present. He was fascinated by wildlife, particularly birds. His children often remember him calling out “get the bird book”, which was much too large and bulky for a young child to carry, whenever he thought he found a bird that he never saw before. His wife also shared this passion, and they happily travelled the world to seek new species of birds. Louis also enjoyed collecting hand carved wooden birds from local artisans which could be seen throughout his home. Louis loved to fish; whether it was close to home in local ponds and rivers or more remote places across North America including Alaska and Canada. He thoroughly enjoyed spending time fishing with his sons, grandsons, nephews and friends. He also loved crabbing with all of his grandchildren. In his retirement, Louis took his love of fish in another direction and became an avid collector and breeder of Cichlids. He had many adventures to South America to collect this breed of fish, and published articles while also serving as editor for Cichlid hobby publications. His story is not complete without mentioning his love of the New York Yankees and Giants. Louis stayed a true fan of these teams for his entire life. He also had an amazing talent for telling a good story, and he expertly played the stock market. Surviving is his loving family including his wife of 59 years, Edith M. (Hill) Pochettino; children and in-laws; Michael and Robyn (Kirtley) Pochettino, David and Kristen (Malone) Pochettino, Julie (Pochettino) and James Piper and Laura Pochettino-McKee. He also had eight grandchildren that he adored: Alexander, Owen, Madeleine, Mora, Elliott, Savannah, Augustus “Mac” and Ryan. The family will receive relatives & friends at Washington Memorial Chapel, 2000 Valley Forge Park Road, King of Prussia, PA on Tuesday, March 29, 2022 from 10 to 11:00 am; followed by his Memorial Service at 11:00 am. Interment will be in Washington Memorial Chapel Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Louis’ memory to Nature Conservancy at nature.org Arrangements are by the Bacchi Funeral Home & Crematory, Ltd., Bridgeport, PA. Condolences to the family at www.bacchifh.com