On May 14, 2024, Norman Crabill’s mission here on earth ended.   From initial entry into earth’s atmosphere in 1926, in a row house in DC, he soared literally and figuratively:

–            designing model airplanes,

–            on wings of song in Jr High Choral events,

–            with lifelong friendships sailing the Potomac,

–            on first flights in small aircraft,

–            on a UN sponsored voyage to Poland after WWII as a Seagoing Cowboy tending 777 horses,

–            in love leading to marriage and children,

–            having fun (not working) for 36 years at NACA/NASA which had him designing rockets (Shotput for the first passive communications satellite, Echo) and planning missions to the moon with Lunar Orbiter (5 successful missions and mapping of Apollo landing sites and ultimately the entire moon) and to Mars with Viking (the first man-made lander on that planet),

–            getting his private pilot’s license,

–            learning to play and improvise on the piano,

–            researching weather and atmospheric effects that influenced the design of modern-day aircraft including lightning hardening for composite aircraft,

–            interacting with many adopted god-children – music and swimming lessons, museum visits, historical sites, introduction to flying,

–            searching for and preserving local Hampton Roads history in archeological digs,

–            serving on city municipal boards,

–            inventing systems to improve a private pilots experience while in the air with Pilot Weather Advisory – termed “one of general aviation’s great technological advances” by AOPA PILOT magazine in June 2018, and Active Ride Improvement System, a product to alleviate the effects of gusts on passengers in small aircraft,

–            learning to soar at a local glider port,

–            mentoring young people in engineering and other of their interests ,

–            inspiring those with whom he spent time

There will be a Celebration of Life on July 20, 2024- – a day that commemorates the day that Viking 1 first landed on Mars, and as National Moon Day, also gives a nod to Lunar Orbiter, which mapped the moon and landing sites for Apollo spacecraft carrying astronauts.   The event will be at 2 pm at Ivy Farms Church of the Brethren, 681 Dresden Drive, Newport News, VA 23601.

To honor Dad’s love for music, there will be several musical selections, and several hymns that he played.  Mostly, we want to hear from you – a favorite memory of him that you can tell those of us who have gathered.   We the immediate family cannot know the depth and breadth of experience that you had with him, and that is what we would like to hear.

We are working on a virtual connection so that the event can be shared by those who cannot travel.  If you cannot attend, and have a story you would like to share, please email to his email address so that it can be read at the celebration.

A reception at the church will follow.  We would love to know if you can join us.

No flowers please!  If you feel so moved, he would welcome donations to the VAHS (Virginia Aeronautical Historical Society) – https://www.vahsonline.com/support-the-society/ -, to Williamsburg Aviation Scholarship Program – https://www.waspscholarship.org/  -, or to the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank – https://hrfoodbank.org/.

For those interested, you can find articles online about him at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_L._Crabill

https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/langley/norman-l-crabill/

https://web.archive.org/web/20041027012006/http://researchernews.larc.nasa.gov/archives/2003/091203/ViGYAN.html

https://www.vahsonline.com/pdf/Crabill-Bio.pdf

To hear Norm’s voice, cut and past this into your browser duck://player/WxdJ3Cudj4Q