James Wheeler Vann, 82, died on September 11, 2013 after a long illness. He was born in Madison County on December 19, 1930 to Wheeler Truett Vann and Lillie Nalls Van.
Wheeler graduated from New Hope High School in 1948 and attended Florence State Teachers College. He was drafted into the Army in 1953. He earned a B.S. Electrical Engineering from the University of Tennessee in 1959. After graduation he was employed for several years in the Propulsion Lab of AOMC. In 1963, Wheeler transferred to NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center where he was secretary of the Saturn-Apollo Crew Safety Panel during the mid-sixties. He later worked on the Skylab Program and in the Preliminary Design Office of Program Development. After retirement from NASA, he was employed by Teledyne Brown Engineering as a Sr. Systems Engineer and later by DRD Technologies as V.P., Engineering. He was a Professional Electrical Engineer registered in Alabama
Among his many interests and talents, he was an amateur radio operator, W4VPZ, and was active in the local ham club for many years.
In addition to his parents, Wheeler was predeceased by a brother, Truett Nalls Vann, and two sisters, Faye Vann Ferguson and Sarah Alice Vann. He is survived by a sister, Joyce Vann Robinson of Brandon, Mississippi and several nieces and nephews.
Wheeler is also survived by his wife of 51 years, Ursula Mrazek Vann; daughters, Kelley Vann Johns (Derek) of Huntsville, and Cecily Vann McSurdy (Michael) of Nashville; and grandchildren, Sarah and Benjamin Johns and Michael, Harriet and Eloise McSurdy.
The memorial service will be held on Thursday, September 19 at 2 p.m. at St. Thomas Episcopal Church. A reception will follow in the Parish Hall.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Southern Poverty Law Center, 400 Washington Avenue, Montgomery, AL 36104 or to St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 12200 Bailey Cove Rd., Huntsville, AL 35803.
http://www.laughlinservice.com/memsol.cgi?user_id=1098060
Wheeler graduated from New Hope High School in 1948 and attended Florence State Teachers College. He was drafted into the Army in 1953. He earned a B.S. Electrical Engineering from the University of Tennessee in 1959. After graduation he was employed for several years in the Propulsion Lab of AOMC. In 1963, Wheeler transferred to NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center where he was secretary of the Saturn-Apollo Crew Safety Panel during the mid-sixties. He later worked on the Skylab Program and in the Preliminary Design Office of Program Development. After retirement from NASA, he was employed by Teledyne Brown Engineering as a Sr. Systems Engineer and later by DRD Technologies as V.P., Engineering. He was a Professional Electrical Engineer registered in Alabama
Among his many interests and talents, he was an amateur radio operator, W4VPZ, and was active in the local ham club for many years.
In addition to his parents, Wheeler was predeceased by a brother, Truett Nalls Vann, and two sisters, Faye Vann Ferguson and Sarah Alice Vann. He is survived by a sister, Joyce Vann Robinson of Brandon, Mississippi and several nieces and nephews.
Wheeler is also survived by his wife of 51 years, Ursula Mrazek Vann; daughters, Kelley Vann Johns (Derek) of Huntsville, and Cecily Vann McSurdy (Michael) of Nashville; and grandchildren, Sarah and Benjamin Johns and Michael, Harriet and Eloise McSurdy.
The memorial service will be held on Thursday, September 19 at 2 p.m. at St. Thomas Episcopal Church. A reception will follow in the Parish Hall.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Southern Poverty Law Center, 400 Washington Avenue, Montgomery, AL 36104 or to St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 12200 Bailey Cove Rd., Huntsville, AL 35803.
http://www.laughlinservice.com/memsol.cgi?user_id=1098060
James Wheeler Vann, 82, died on September 11, 2013 after a long illness. He was born in Madison County on December 19, 1930 to Wheeler Truett Vann and Lillie Nalls Van.
Wheeler graduated from New Hope High School in 1948 and attended Florence State Teachers College. He was drafted into the Army in 1953. He earned a B.S. Electrical Engineering from the University of Tennessee in 1959. After graduation he was employed for several years in the Propulsion Lab of AOMC. In 1963, Wheeler transferred to NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center where he was secretary of the Saturn-Apollo Crew Safety Panel during the mid-sixties. He later worked on the Skylab Program and in the Preliminary Design Office of Program Development. After retirement from NASA, he was employed by Teledyne Brown Engineering as a Sr. Systems Engineer and later by DRD Technologies as V.P., Engineering. He was a Professional Electrical Engineer registered in Alabama
Among his many interests and talents, he was an amateur radio operator, W4VPZ, and was active in the local ham club for many years.
In addition to his parents, Wheeler was predeceased by a brother, Truett Nalls Vann, and two sisters, Faye Vann Ferguson and Sarah Alice Vann. He is survived by a sister, Joyce Vann Robinson of Brandon, Mississippi and several nieces and nephews.
Wheeler is also survived by his wife of 51 years, Ursula Mrazek Vann; daughters, Kelley Vann Johns (Derek) of Huntsville, and Cecily Vann McSurdy (Michael) of Nashville; and grandchildren, Sarah and Benjamin Johns and Michael, Harriet and Eloise McSurdy.
The memorial service will be held on Thursday, September 19 at 2 p.m. at St. Thomas Episcopal Church. A reception will follow in the Parish Hall.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Southern Poverty Law Center, 400 Washington Avenue, Montgomery, AL 36104 or to St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 12200 Bailey Cove Rd., Huntsville, AL 35803.
http://www.laughlinservice.com/memsol.cgi?user_id=1098060
Wheeler graduated from New Hope High School in 1948 and attended Florence State Teachers College. He was drafted into the Army in 1953. He earned a B.S. Electrical Engineering from the University of Tennessee in 1959. After graduation he was employed for several years in the Propulsion Lab of AOMC. In 1963, Wheeler transferred to NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center where he was secretary of the Saturn-Apollo Crew Safety Panel during the mid-sixties. He later worked on the Skylab Program and in the Preliminary Design Office of Program Development. After retirement from NASA, he was employed by Teledyne Brown Engineering as a Sr. Systems Engineer and later by DRD Technologies as V.P., Engineering. He was a Professional Electrical Engineer registered in Alabama
Among his many interests and talents, he was an amateur radio operator, W4VPZ, and was active in the local ham club for many years.
In addition to his parents, Wheeler was predeceased by a brother, Truett Nalls Vann, and two sisters, Faye Vann Ferguson and Sarah Alice Vann. He is survived by a sister, Joyce Vann Robinson of Brandon, Mississippi and several nieces and nephews.
Wheeler is also survived by his wife of 51 years, Ursula Mrazek Vann; daughters, Kelley Vann Johns (Derek) of Huntsville, and Cecily Vann McSurdy (Michael) of Nashville; and grandchildren, Sarah and Benjamin Johns and Michael, Harriet and Eloise McSurdy.
The memorial service will be held on Thursday, September 19 at 2 p.m. at St. Thomas Episcopal Church. A reception will follow in the Parish Hall.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Southern Poverty Law Center, 400 Washington Avenue, Montgomery, AL 36104 or to St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 12200 Bailey Cove Rd., Huntsville, AL 35803.
http://www.laughlinservice.com/memsol.cgi?user_id=1098060
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