Paul "Brad" Smith's Obituary
Paul Bradley “Brad” Smith, 76, of Huntersville, NC passed away on November 24, 2016.
He grew up in Walnut Creek, CA, son of Paul and Martha Smith, brother of Pat Calderhead, Barbara Oppido and Don Smith, and husband of Rosemary Smith. Brad attended Las Lomas High School in Walnut Creek and was an Eagle Scout following in the footsteps of his father Paul Smith.
A University of California engineering graduate (MSEE) he worked in Southern California for Rockwell International and later Boeing. He was VP of ICBM’s for Rockwell. He spent 8 years in Atlanta as VP & GM of Rockwell’s Tactical Missile business and later became President of Rocketdyne in Canoga Park. While at Rocketdyne he was awarded NASA’s Distinguished Public Service medal for his work on the Space Shuttle Engine program and was also recognized as the Engineering Councils Engineer of the Year for his work in Aerospace. He retired as President and CEO of United Space Alliance responsible for the operation and processing of NASA’s Space Shuttle fleet and International Space Station at Lyndon Johnson Space Center and John F Kennedy Space Center.
He and Rosemary traveled extensively, visiting every continent and enjoying numerous international trips with friends. He had a love for entertaining his grandchildren and great- grandchildren on Lake Norman and in the North Carolina mountains during the summer. A favorite pastime were the many events sponsored by the Southenders retirement group he co-founded in the Lake Norman Area.
He is survived by his wife, Rosemary; sons Doug of Michigan and David of San Diego; daughter Terri of South Lake Tahoe; eleven grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren.
A Memorial service to celebrate his life will be held on Thursday, January 5, 2017, at 11:00 AM, at James Funeral Home Chapel. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service, 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM, and following the service there will be a reception in the James Funeral Home community room.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Brookstone School, Advancement Office, Box 667890, Charlotte, NC 28266, which is funded by the Brad Smith Scholarship Fund.
James Funeral Home of Huntersville, NC is serving the family of Mr. Smith and online condolences can be made to jamesfuneralhomelkn.com.
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