Roy Lester Rich

Roy Lester Rich passed away Wednesday June 8. He was 86. He is survived by his loving wife of 65 years, Marie who he describes marrying her as the “smartest thing I ever did” He is also survived by two daughters, Denise and Suellen, and son David. He has 10 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildern. He is predeceased by his parents, Lester and Harriett Rich, and his oldest daughter, Marianne. Roy was born in Brockport , NY on Christmas Eve, 1929. He attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute where he majored in Aeronautical Engineering and was elected to Tau Beta Phi Honor Society. After graduation in 1951, he went to work for the Boeing Company and had a challenging and exciting career working on aerospace systems. The highlight of this work was his involvement the Apollo Moon Program and being part of the design team that built the Saturn 5 Booster. He later worked on the Boeing Hydrofoil and culminated his career working on the International Space Station. Roy was a true “Rocket Man”. In his retirement years Roy was an avid gardener, woodworker and loved to travel. He was a Master Gardener and was very active in the Nature Scapings Wildlife Botanical Gardens in Vancouver, WA. A private family memorial service will be held on Spring Island, SC.