Lowell Randall

Lowell N. Randall, rocket pioneer, passed away early Wednesday at Good Samaritan Las Cruces Village, Home Health Center . At 96, Lowell was the last living member of the Robert Goddard team. Goddard and his group developed liquid fuel rockets and thus laid the foundation for going to the moon, Goddard's personal goal. With formal education only through high school but with native intelligence and knack for practical engineering honed while with Goddard, Lowell rose to positions of importance in the developing field of aerospace engineering. As project engineer at White Sands Proving Grounds in the early 1950's, he put the Redstone Missile back on schedule. In a modified form this missile sent the first American astronauts into space. In the late 1950's, working for the Glenn L. Martin (later Martin Marietta) Company, Lowell led the team that brought to completion the Titian I Missile, the first true multi-stage intercontinental ballistic missile and one that could also serve for space flights. Lowell was born in Roswell, New Mexico to Orlando and Maude Randall and grew up there. In early 1941 he joined the Goddard team and during World War II worked with the team for the Navy in Annapolis, Maryland. After the war and Goddard's death he worked for Curtiss Wright in New Jersey and in 1952 moved back to New Mexico to join White Sands Proving Grounds. Lowell subsequently moved to Colorado to take a position with the Martin Company and in 1967 returned to White Sands and Las Cruces. He retired from White Sands in 1978 but continued part-time engineering work until the mid-1990's, primarily with Wendell Hull in Las Cruces. Lowell is preceded in death by his first wife and mother of their children Helen W. Randall, his second wife Anna M. Randall, daughter Janet D. Randall, son-in-law Thomas L. Brown, brother Ernest Randall and sister Elaine R. Bailey. He is survived by daughters Martha Randall Brown of Las Cruces and Linda L. Randall and husband Gerald Hazelbauer of Columbia, Missouri, by step-daughter Carol Miner Garber and husband John of Denver, Colorado, and by caregiver Mary Grimes whose loving service to Lowell in the final years of his life made her part of the family. Visitation is Friday, January 6, 2012, 5:00 P.M. - 7:00 P.M. at La Paz-Graham's Funeral Home Chapel, 555 West Amador Avenue, Las Cruces. Graveside Services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, January 7, 2012 at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens Cemetery. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to maintain the replica of the Goddard Workshop at the Roswell Museum and Art Center. Send donations to RMAC Foundation, Goddard Workshop, Cindy Torrez, Executive Director, 400 N. Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 220, Roswell, NM 88201. To sign the guest book log on to www.lapaz-grahams.com