Victor W. Richard

Victor W. Richard, rocket antenna scientist retired from Aberdeen Proving Ground, died Wednesday, August 17, 2011 at the Senator Robert Hooper House hospice two and a half weeks after he was initially hospitalized at Harford Memorial Hospital on July 30 for a weak heartbeat. The life-long Harford County resident was 91. Mr. Richard worked for 30 years at the Aberdeen Proving Ground's Ballistic Research Laboratories (BRL). He specialized in designing and testing high altitude rocket antennas used to measure the US Army's ability to communicate in the event of atmospheric nuclear explosions. He graduated with a degree in electronics engineering from the University of Wisconsin in Madison in 1942 and immediately went to work for the US Army Signal Corps in Ft. Monmouth, then transferred to BRL in 1946. The Dept. of the Army took advantage of Mr. Richard's highly specialized expertise by sending him to far-flung and exotic locations. These included the White Sands, NM missile range where he worked on projects led by the German scientist Werner Von Braun; missile firings from Wallops Island, VA, part of the Chincoteague Islands chain; and Fort Churchill, Canada near Hudson's Bay, where missiles were fired into the Aurora borealis since that approximated the effects nuclear detonations would have on the atmosphere and radio communications. Other projects landed him in Barbados and the Pacific Ocean islands of Hawaii and Johnston Island for the US's last atmospheric hydrogen bomb testing. In retirement, Mr. Richard continued his electronics work and experimentation, designing and building prototypes of TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) devices for doctors use in treating muscle and joint pain, incontinence and addiction. Mr. Richard was a long-time active member of the congregation of the Grove Presbyterian Church in Aberdeen. Funeral Services will be held Monday, August 22 at 11:00 AM in Grove Presbyterian Church, 50 E Bel Air Ave, Aberdeen, MD 21001. Interment will follow in Grove Presbyterian Cemetery Mr. Richard was born in Gresham, WI in 1920, the only child of Ora and Irene Richards. In addition to his wife Irene, he is survived by his daughter, Vicki R. Newton and husband John C. Newton, II of Pt. Depostit, MD; three sons, Charles "Chuck" Richard and wife Ieda of Hartsdale, NY, Douglas J. Richard and wife Mary of Florida, Randal F. Richard and wife Tooie C. Cassavant of Vancouver, Canada; three grandchildren, Michelle L. Murphy of Glen Rock, PA, Everett A. Newton of Cheverly, MD and Dexter P. Richard of Hartsdale, NY; and one great-granddaughter, Marina Belle Hyde of Glen Rock, PA. Memorial contributions in his memory may be directed to Grove Presbyterian Church. Funeral Home: Tarring-Cargo Funeral Home 333 South Parke Street Aberdeen, MD US 21001