Robert Stephen Pocreva, Sr.

A resident of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, Robert “Bob” Pocreva passed away peacefully at the age of 89 on December 4, 2024, at his home in Ocean Springs.

Born in 1935, in Glen Lyon, PA, into a large extended Polish family, Bob was the son of John J. Pocreva and Helen H. (Jablonowski) Pocreva and one of four children. He graduated in 1953 from Newport Township and went on to earn a BS in Geology from Penn State University in 1956. As an Air Force pilot at Dover AFB, Delaware, he met Joan Castelazo Pocreva, whom he married on February 26, 1960.

Bob had an adventurous 20-year career in the United States Air Force. He served as a rescue pilot at Anderson AFB in Guam in support of the NASA space program, participated in Operation Deep Freeze in Antarctica, and was assigned to Thule, Greenland, for a year. He was stationed with his family for four years in England, first at RAF Northolt and then at RAF Mildenhall. Bob concluded his military service at Scott AFB in Southern Illinois in 1977.

During active duty, Bob earned a MS in Civil Engineering from Auburn University in 1965. After leaving the military, he earned an MS in City Planning in 1978 from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. From 1980 to 1995, he served as an associate professor of Civil Engineering at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. Upon retiring at age 60, Bob and his late wife, Joan, moved to Lillian, Alabama, where he lived for 26 years before Bob relocated to Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to be closer to family.

A lifelong learner, Bob had a wide range of interests and hobbies. He was an accomplished flutist in his early years, an avid photographer, a sailor, and a lover of classical music and opera. His curiosity extended to astronomy, biking, trains, and amateur radio, among many other pursuits. Bob was always eager to try new things, explore the world, and share his knowledge and passions with others. For many years he was a member of the Optimist Club in Lillian, AL and volunteered at a nearby elementary school. At the age of 81, he fulfilled a lifelong dream by traveling the Alaskan highway to the Arctic Circle in Alaska on his motorcycle, departing from the Gulf Coast.

He is preceded in death by his parents; and his wife, Joan Grace Castelazo Pocreva (2008).

Bob is survived by his children, Robert Pocreva, Jr. of Philadelphia, PA; Donna Backues and son-in-law Lindy Backues of Philadelphia; Andrea Fry and son-in-law Bill Fry of Pedricktown, NJ; and Joseph Pocreva and daughter-in-law, Andrea Pocreva of Ocean Springs, MS. He is also survived by his grandchildren: Aubrey Backues, Rainey Backues, Joel Fry, Olivia Fry, Joey Pocreva II, Jackson Pocreva, Caroline Pocreva, and Katy Pocreva; his great-grandchild, Elijah Fry; his siblings, Marie Reneski of Brookhaven, PA, John Pocreva of Foley, AL and Michael Pocreva of Boulder, CO; and a host of friends, especially those from his Bourbon Club, who will miss hearing his amazing stories.

The family is planning a private memorial service later this month.

Bradford-O'Keefe Funeral Homes is honored to serve the family of Robert Pocreva, Sr.