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Life story

"Stephen G. Jurczyk, 61, of Fredericksburg, VA, passed away surrounded by his family on Thursday, November 23 (Thanksgiving Day) from pancreatic cancer.

Stephen was born on February 20, 1962, to Walter and Jean Jurczyk in New York, N.Y. He graduated from the University of Virginia where he received Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Electrical Engineering in 1984 and 1986.

In 1991, Stephen met Ann Strange on a bike ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway and through the Shenandoah Valley. He knew he wanted to marry her after just the third date. Ann and Stephen wed in 1992, and went on to have two beautiful daughters, Kim and Sarah.

Stephen had a long and successful 32-year career at The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and served as Acting Administrator from January to May 2021. Prior to that position, he served as the Associate Administrator, the agency’s highest-ranking civil servant. As Associate Administrator, he led NASA throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and oversaw the successful landing of the Perseverance rover on Mars, the launch of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 to the International Space Station, the return of Crew-1 back to Earth, and many other astounding accomplishments.

Before being named Associate Administrator, Stephen served in a number of leadership roles at the agency, including as Associate Administrator of the Space Technology Mission Directorate and Director of NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.

Stephen was the recipient of the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, two Outstanding Leadership Medals, the Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Executive in 2006, and the Presidential Rank Award for Distinguished Executive in 2016 – the highest honors attainable for federal government leadership. He was also a 2021 Service to America Medal “Sammies” finalist, one of the highest honors for federal civil servants, in the management excellence category for his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Even after retiring from NASA in May 2021, Stephen continued to contribute to the field of space exploration as the President and CEO at Quantum Space, focusing on lunar space exploration.

Stephen was incredibly well-loved by his colleagues, peers, friends, and family. Known for being a dedicated civil servant, a collaborative leader, a tremendous mentor, and a caring father, Stephen was also a passionate New York sports fan and could often be found on the couch screaming at the Giants for losing yet another game to the Cowboys. He was generous with his jokes, giving with his time, committed beyond belief to his family and work, and strived to live his life with grace, compassion, patience, and understanding.

Stephen was predeceased by Walt Jurczyk (father), Karen Jurczyk (sister), and Jean Jurczyk (mother). Stephen is survived by his loving wife, Ann, and his two daughters, Kim and Sarah. The loss of Stephen G. Jurczyk is deeply felt by his family, friends, and colleagues."