Donald A. Krider

1929 - 2007

Donald A. Krider
September 4, 1929 – February 20, 2007
Donald A. Krider, 77, formerly of Las Cruces, died Tuesday, February 20 in El Paso. Don was born September 4, 1929 in LaPorte, Indiana to Algernon and Laura (Gingrich) Krider. He attended Studebaker Elementary in South Bend, Indiana and graduated from Riley High School in South Bend in 1947. He married Margery Farrington and is survived by her and their three children, Alan Krider of Redmond, Washington, Amanda Piburn of Shalimar, Florida, and Molly Peterson of Centennial, Colorado, 6 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. He is also survived by his brother, James Krider, of South Bend, Indiana and his sister, Kathryn Johnson, of San Jose, California. After earning a mathematics degree from Yale University, he served as an officer in the U.S. Air Force for 22 years, first as a meteorologist and later as an astrophysicist. While in the Air Force, he earned degrees in meteorology from Penn State and the University of Chicago, and did graduate work in astrogeophysics at the University of Colorado. In the 1960s and 70s, he provided "black" (highly classified) support to the National Reconnaissance Office, working on America's first spy satellites, the Keyhole/Corona program. This work remained classified until 1995. During the Vietnam War, he served a year as Chief Forecaster in the Southeast Asia Weather Center in Saigon. After retiring from the Air Force, he moved to Las Cruces with his second wife Gwen Beam, who also survives him. In New Mexico, he created an oasis in the high desert where he spent the last 20 years of his life. Over the years, he enjoyed hiking in the mountains of Alaska, California, Colorado, and New Mexico. He received a love of books from his parents and passed that on to his children. The family would like to thank his many caregivers in Las Cruces, especially Dr. Rolando Cardena, Dr. Louis Benevento, Dr. Richard Melzer and the staff at Desert Willow in the Village at Northrise. The family also extends special thanks to the staff at North Hills Foster Home in El Paso, especially Vicki, Sofia, and Enrique, who lovingly cared for him during the last two years of his life. At Don's request, there were no services. His family scattered his ashes in the desert where he loved to hike.