Mr. Ralph G. Nasatka, Sr., of Clinton, MD, passed away on October 21, 2024, at the vibrant age of 92. He is survived by his wife of 15 years, Regina (Moreland) Nasatka; his sons Edward, Sr. (Lisa), Kenneth (Cathy), and Daniel; his daughters Linda and Mary; his grandchildren Eddie, Jr., Amanda (Wyatt) Adams, Hayley (Evan) Stewart, Jessica (Joel) Dickinson, Michael, Matthew, Tony (Laura) Madarang, and Ariana (Jeff) Cornwell; his great-grandson Everett; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Mr. Nasatka was born in Herndon, PA, in 1931 to Anthony Nasatka, a Polish immigrant, and Mary (Poplaski) Nasatka. Raised on the family farm in Northumberland County, PA, Ralph was drafted into the U.S. Army and served during the Korean War from 1952 to 1954. In 1959, Ralph married Lois Miller, with whom he spent 45 years, and they settled in Clinton, MD, where they raised six children. A devout Catholic, Mr. Nasatka met his second wife, Regina, while attending St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Baden, MD, and they married in 2009. Mr. Ralph Nasatka was an active member of the Korean War Veterans Association, Maryland Chapter 33. As a proud Korean War veteran, he toured South Korea and the DMZ twice in the late 2000s. In 2009, Mr. Nasatka also visited Poland to reconnect with his family’s heritage.
In his early years, Mr. Nasatka gained a unique insight into perimeter protection through his experiences as a carpenter’s apprentice and later as a foreman for several high-security government organizations. This expertise led him to establish Nasatka & Sons, Inc., a general contracting firm in the greater Washington D.C. region, which notably painted the exterior of the White House in the late 1970s.
Anti-Terrorist Vehicle Barrier Evolution: In response to a request from the FBI in the mid-1970s, Mr. Ralph Nasatka Sr. assisted in the development of an anti-terrorist vehicle barrier for restricted areas to mitigate vehicle-borne explosives. The first of its kind, the active vehicle barrier (AVB), was installed at the J. Edgar Hoover FBI Headquarters in Washington, DC, where it remained operational for over 20 years. After the Marine Barracks bombing in Beirut in 1983, Mr. Nasatka experienced an emotional moment that prompted him to revive the original barrier design and form Nasatka Barrier, Incorporated. Since its resurgence in 1985, Mr. Nasatka and his company have become leaders in the advancement of physical security protection, having patented, developed, and furnished thousands of passive perimeter and active access-control barrier systems worldwide.
Following the events of 9/11, the federal mandates and immediate need for perimeter protection skyrocketed. Mr. Nasatka rebranded his company as Nasatka Security to address the global rise in security needs, earning a reputation worldwide as the premier provider of passive and active vehicle barrier solutions.
Mr. Nasatka remained active as Senior Security Advisor and Chairman of Nasatka until shortly before his passing. May God bless him, his family, and, as a true patriot, his country, the United States of America!
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