Dr. William Buckner Haile Jr.

HAILE, Dr. William Buckner Jr., 68, an aeronautical engineer who had a key role in the development of the Hubble Space Telescope and several NASA satellites, died November 1, 2008, while bicycling near his home in Port Republic, Md. Dr. Haile spent more than 20 years as the chief structural engineer for the Hubble telescope while working at Lockheed Martin. Later, he was a consultant and designer during the development of an exhibition about the telescope at the National Air and Space Museum. He also worked as senior engineer for Swales Aerospace and ATK. Dr. Haile was born in Washington, D.C., but spent his summers in Tappahannock and on the Northern Neck. From Virginia Tech, he received his BS, MS and PhD in engineering science and mechanics. Survivors include his wife of eight years, Joy Ann Bartholomew of Port Republic; his former wife, Phyllis Andis Haile; three children from his first marriage, Jessica A. Haile of Laguna Niguel, Calif., Adam A. Haile of Durham, N.C., and Rachael A. Haile of Chicago, Ill.; a sister, Jane Haile Dawkins of Key West, Fla. and Tappahannock; and a brother, Edward Wright Haile of Champlain, Va. Dr. Haile's ashes will be interred privately at a later date at Saint Paul's Episcopal Church in Miller's Tavern, Va.
This obituary was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.