Funeral services will be held February 21 in Methuen for the businessman and inventor whose name graces Merrimack’s student center.
Anthony “Tony” Sakowich, who died on Valentine’s Day at age 95, was a successful entrepreneur who patented a process to mold laminated countertops and then manufactured them in North Andover, selling them nationally through Sears and other retailers.
He and his wife, Gladys, to whom he was married for 58 years, devoted much of their wealth to philanthropy, especially focused on young people. In addition to providing funds to Merrimack for the “Sak,” the Sakowiches supported the Boys and Girls Club in Laconia, N.H., near their summer home, and the Boys and Girls Club in Lawrence, and donated nine acres in Andover to the Andover Village Improvement Society for recreation space.