Obituary of Raul Pettai

Raul Pettai passed away on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, at his home in Montville, NJ. He was 97 years old.

Born and raised in Tartu, Estonia, he fled his homeland during World War II and lived as a refugee in Germany for five years before immigrating to the United States in 1950 where he initially settled in New York, NY.

In 1951, Raul received a scholarship to attend Colorado State University, where he earned his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in 1953 after just two and a half years of dedicated study. In 1960, he obtained a master's degree in the same field from Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute. He later published a scientific book on Noise in Receiving Systems with John Wiley and Sons (1984).

After marrying his high school classmate Asta Kasikov (also from Estonia) in 1956, the family settled in New Jersey and later in Massachusetts, where they raised three sons. Professionally, Raul specialized in microwave technology, working with Bell Laboratories and the RCA Corporation, before joining Raytheon Co. of Sudbury, MA where he was employed for over 30 years before retiring in 1992. He moved to Montville Township, NJ in 1994, serving amongst other things on the Longview at Montville Homeowners Association Board.

Throughout his years in America, Raul was active and committed to the émigré Estonian community. He was an enthusiastic member of his fraternity, the Estonian Students Society; a teacher in the Boston Estonian School; president of the Boston Estonian Society; and a proud follower of his homeland's return to independence in 1991 and its renewed flourishing as a European democracy. As a lifelong player of the violin and guitar, he was devoted to music and art, regularly attending concerts and exhibitions.

Raul was preceded in death by his wife and the mother of his three sons, Asta; his second wife, Viive Godtfredsen, and his parents Ferdinand and Marta Pettai. Survivors include his three loving sons, Arno E. Pettai of California, Allan M. Pettai of California, and Vello A. Pettai and his wife, Eva-Clarita Pettai of Germany; his beloved grandson, Jakob F. Pettai of Germany; and his dear partner of 35 years, Liina Klints of Montville, NJ.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend the visitation and celebration of life on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, from 3 pm to 5 pm at S.J. Priola Parsippany Funeral Service, 60 North Beverwyck Road, Lake Hiawatha, NJ. He will be laid to rest with his late parents at the Kensico Cemetery, Valhalla, NY.