Francis M. Stienon

STIENON, Francis M. Age 72, died September 23, 2008, at his home in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He was born July 31, 1936, in Greenwich, England, and came to America on the eve of World War II with his mother, sister, and brother. He grew up in Ann Arbor and majored in physics at the University of Michigan. He earned a Ph. D. in astronomy from Harvard University and taught astronomy and physics at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, Case-Western Reserve University in Cleveland, and the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. In 1977 he began working for NASA at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, and calculated the orbits as a computer programmer for all the major unmanned space projects, including the Voyager and Cassini missions. He met his wife of fifty years, Elaine, at the Interlochen Center for the Arts. Besides his wife, he leaves behind a son, Christopher Stienon of Brooklyn, New York, and a daughter, Ruth Lane, of Petaluma, California, and four grandchildren. He is survived by his sister, Maureen Anderson of Springdale, Arkansas, and his brother, Julian Stienon of San Marcos, Calfornia. He also leaves half-sisters Gillian Keeley and Pippa Winslade, and half-brothers Nicholas and Simon Layton in England. A memorial service is planned for 3:00 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 28, 2008 at the Community of Christ church, 520 West Jefferson in Ann Arbor. In lieu of flowers, the family would prefer that donations be made to ALS of Michigan, 21311 Civic Center Drive, Ste. 200, Southfield, MI 48076.