Obituaries Obituaries (January 15, 2003)

Reginald Kearton
Space exploration pioneer

Reginald R. Kearton, head of the Space Division of Lockheed Missiles and Space Division during the pioneering days of space exploration, died January 1 in Menlo Park. He was 92.

Mr. Kearton's career spanned 34 years in the aerospace field. He joined Lockheed in 1949 as a senior engineer in Burbank. After serving as a key member of the team that established the Lockheed operation in Marietta, Georgia, he moved back to California in 1955 to serve as executive vice president of Lockheed Missiles and Space Company in Sunnyvale.

Mr. Kearton was involved in the Agena and Gemini space programs, as well as many other classified space programs in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He was instrumental in building the corporate foundation, which led to the manufacture of such airlift resources for the U.S. Air Force as the C-130 Hercules, the C-141 Starlifter and the world's largest cargo airplane, the C-5 Galaxy.

Mr. Kearton was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, earning an engineering degree with a specialty in aeronautics. In 1957 he attended Harvard University's advanced management business program.

Because of his many business trips to France, Mr. Hearton became interested in French culture and in 1982 co-founded the French Heritage Society (formerly Friends of Vielles Maisons Francaises). The international society, which now has 18 chapters and more than 2,000 members, has raised $8 million to restore and maintain historical properties in the United State and France. Mr. Kearton was chairman emeritus of the society at the time of his death.

Another of Mr. Kearton's interests was dominoes. In 1971 he won the San Francisco Chronicle's world championship, according to family members.

He is survived by his wife, the former Frances Peace Adams; sons by a previous marriage, Regnar Kearton of Whidby Island, Washington, and Porter Kearton of Anchorage, Alaska; and a stepson, Al Adams of San Francisco.

Arrangements were under the direction of John O'Connor's Menlo Colonial Chapel, Menlo Park.

Russell M. Van Tuyl
Retired United Airlines captain

Russell M. Van Tuyl, who lived in Menlo Park for 50 years before moving to LaGrange, Georgia, in 2001, died January 3. He was 96.

Mr. Van Tuyl was a World War II Navy veteran and a retired United Airlines captain. He married Rachel Pinson Van Tuyl in 1939, and they lived in Chicago until 1951, when they moved to Menlo Park.

In his spare time, Mr. Van Tuyl enjoyed playing golf and would regularly play on the Stanford course, according to his family. The Van Tuyls moved to LaGrange to be close to family and friends during Mr. Van Tuyl's illness.

He is survived by his wife Rachel; and two nephews and a niece.

Hannah A. Miller
Community volunteer and homemaker

Memorial services for will held at 11 a.m. Saturday, January 18 at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church for Hannah A. Miller, a longtime resident of Atherton, who died January 13. She was 85.

Mrs. Miller was born in New York City and graduated as a dietician from Pratt Institute in 1937. During World War II, she managed the food service at Wright Aeronautical in New Jersey, feeding thousands of workers.

She loved to dance, and met Thormund Miller at an Officers Service Club dance. They were married in 1946.

The Millers lived in Bethesda, Maryland, for 16 years where Mrs. Miller was active in her church and the schools her daughters attended. In 1966, the couple moved to Atherton.

Mrs. Miller became involved in many local organizations including the Lunch Bunch, the Atherton Dames, the Allied Arts Guild, and the Atherton Civic Interest League. She liked organizing activities and parties, making people feel welcome and building community, say family members.

Mrs. Miller is survived by her husband of 57 years, Thormund Miller; two daughters, Karen Van Gerpenof Hollister and Christine Westall of Granite Bay; and three grandchildren.

Graveside services for the immediate family will be January 17 at Skyline Memorial Park in San Mateo.

The family prefers donations, for purposes of research, to the Alzheimer's Association, 2065 West El Camino Real, Suite C, Mountain View, CA 94040; or Stanford University, 326 Galvez St., Stanford CA 94305-6105, attention gift processing.