Ivan Pavlovich Saworotnow

Obituary for Ivan Saworotnow

Ivan Pavlovich Saworotnow of Norwalk, CA, passed away in the comfort of his own home on June 29, 2023, at the age of 95. He is survived by his daughter Katarina and son-in-law Larry; daughter Margareta; daughter Lidia I.; grandchildren Natalia and husband Andrew, Alexander and wife Sarah, Tatiana, and great-grandchildren Lucy, Samuel and Wyatt.  He is predeceased by his wife of 47 years, Lidia Feodorovna, and oldest daughter Anna.

Ivan was born on July 24, 1927 in Yugoslavia.  He lived and survived his youthful years in Europe during the hard times of WWII, finishing his High School education in Austria, after the end of the war.  He immigrated to the United States in 1948, settling in Los Angeles, CA.  His first job was harvesting citrus fruit in Porterville, Ca.  Shortly afterward he was drafted and served as a Sergeant in the US Army on the frontline in Korea for 22 months and served an additional 4 years in the Army Reserves. He met his wife Lidia F. while attending UCLA and they were soon married in Las Vegas, NV in 1955.  The following year, in 1956 he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from UCLA and began his career working for NORTHROP.  In 1959, Ivan and his family moved to Norwalk, and in 1965 he earned his Master of Science degree in Engineering from UCLA.  Ivan worked his entire 40 year career at Northrop-Grumman as an Electrical Engineer.  He later became a Technical Director and worked on many advanced technology aircraft programs for the US Armed Forces, including the B-2 bomber.

Besides enjoying times with family and friends, he spent relaxing times fishing, gardening, listening to music, dancing, reading, and of course, playing chess.  Even more, he enjoyed the pursuit of knowledge, as he was brilliant in science and engineering.  There was never such a thing as being bored for him.  In fact, when he was 80 he began to pursuit getting a Ph.D.

Ivan was a dedicated and supportive husband and father, grandfather and great-grandfather.  He had a fun-loving, wise and practical nature, and frequently used phrases such as: “That’s real life,” and “I’m a survivor.”  He will be greatly missed by family, friends and anyone who spent time with Ivan.