Dr. James E. Danberg

August 16, 2010

Dr. James E. Danberg, 82, died peacefully at his home on Monday, August 16, 2010, after a three-year battle with cancer. Dr. Danberg was born on October 13, 1927, in Wallingford, Conn., the only child of Loretto M. and August E. Danberg. He attended the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., receiving a BAE in June of 1949, a MAE in June of 1952, and a Ph.D. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in 1964. Dr. Danberg was employed at the U.S. Naval Ordnance Laboratory (NOL) in White Oak, Md., from 1951 until 1962. In 1962, Dr. Danberg left NOL to take a position in Fluid Physics Research at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., and became the Secretary of the NASA Research Advisory Committee. He later was appointed the Chief of the Fluid Dynamics Branch at NASA. 1n 1967, Dr. Danberg decided to follow his heart into teaching and research. He accepted an appointment as Associate Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Delaware. He was made a full professor in 1972. Concurrently with his tenure at the University, Dr. Danberg was a Consulting Engineer with the U.S Army Ballistic Research Laboratory at the Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) in Aberdeen, Md. At various times during his UD career, Dr. Danberg also consulted at Thiokol Chemical, ILC Dover Inc., and NASA. In 1985, Dr. Danberg retired from the University of Delaware and assumed full-time duties as an Aerospace Engineer at APG. He formally retired from APG in 1993, but continued to provide consulting services at APG until the very end of his life. Dr. Danberg was married on June 6, 1953, to the former Mary Alouise Conlon of Bear Creek. They celebrated 57 years of marriage and were inseparable. Mrs. Danberg survives him, as do his five children, Jim Jr. and his wife, Tomok, of Charlottesville, Va.; Paula Wylie and her husband, Mark, of Gilbertsville, Pa.; Ed and his wife, Terri, of Newark, Del.; Kara Chase and her husband, Robert, of Haddon Township, N.J., and Carl and his wife, Barbara, of Newark, Del. As an only child, Dr. Danberg was especially delighted by his 17 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. A committal service will be held at St. Mary's Cemetery, Wilkes-Barre, on Saturday under the direction of the McLaughlin Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Dr. Danberg's memory may be made to the School of Mechanical Engineering at The Catholic University of America, Aquinas Hall, Room 106, 620 Michigan Ave., NE, Washington, DC 20064, or to the Scholarship Fund at St. Mark's High School, 2501 Pike Creek Road, Wilmington, DE 19808.