Justin Smalley

We honor Justin Smalley as a good man with strong principles. Justin began his life in what was is now Lubumbashi of the Democratic Republic of Congo as his parents, Ray and Ruth Smalley were missionaries there. They were dedicated to teaching useful farming methods and both were well-loved champions of the African people. After brother, Bruce (& Sally), and sister, Eleanor (& Peter), came along, they returned to Vermont and had another brother, Ronald (& Donna), who we lost in 2016. During the Depression, the family was blessed to move to a cooperative farm in Saline, Michigan. While attending the Edison Institute in Greenfield Village, Roger Harrison, elder brother of Nancy Harrison, introduced Justin to Nancy and they have been together ever since. Justin went on to the University of Michigan, interrupted by two years in the Navy, graduating in 1948 with a B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering. Justin and Nancy were married on September 6, 1947, and enjoyed 70 years together with lots of bridge playing and world travel. They initially lived in the Washington, D.C. area where Justin worked at the David Taylor Model Basin. They had three children, Brian, Gary (& Victoria) and Diane (& Wallace) and moved to St. Paul, Minnesota. Justin's work continued at Honeywell, General Mills and Litton Industries. In 1966, the family moved to Boulder where Justin had the good fortune to work at NCAR until his retirement in 1989. They built a home in Pine Brook Hills which they enjoyed for 29 years, then moved to Frasier Meadows. Justin received the Otto C. Winzen Lifetime Achievement Award for his work on the development of free flight balloon systems in 1996. For eight years after retirement, Justin particularly enjoyed going to local schools, including Casey Junior High School and Ms. Nigon's class at Pioneer Elementary to bring Science and Math to life for the children with interesting models and projects. He always was working a puzzle or reading about Pi, humor or scientific discoveries. Gary's two daughters, Sarah (& Jeff) Strizzi and Kristin Haughey, gave him five great-grandchildren, Joshua, Isabella and Olivia Strizzi and Noah and Ethan Haughey. We will all miss his dry humor and steady presence. A memorial will be held at Frasier Meadows Manor in Boulder on Wednesday, July 26, at 3 pm. As a remembrance, you are invited to donate to TRU Community Care, 2594 Trailridge Drive East, Lafayette, CO 80026; trucare.org