John Vernon Becker

1913 - 2020

John Vernon Becker, 106, a retired NASA research engineer, died peacefully on Sunday, April 26, 2020 at Westminster Canterbury in Lynchburg. Born in 1913 in Albany, NY., he was the son of Vernon and Elma Becker. Growing up in the small town of Schoharie, NY during the early days of aviation, he developed what would be a life- long fascination with flight and building airplanes.

In 1936 shortly after receiving an MS degree in Aeronautical Engineering from New York University, John joined the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) which later became NASA. At the NACA research laboratory at Langley, Virginia, he became a specialist in the aerodynamic and heating problems of high-speed flight. In 1947 he was appointed chief of the NACA division devoted to hypersonic research, a position he held until his retirement. By 1949 his team had developed the first successful hypersonic wind tunnel, which operated at 7 times the speed of sound. They became widely recognized in the mid- 50s for their conception and supporting hypersonic research for the X-15, a manned aero-space airplane designed to fly at 6 times the speed of sound, and also capable of flying out of the atmosphere into space for several minutes of pilot controlled space flight and reentry. The NACA/Air Force X-15 research airplane exceeded all of its performance and research goals, producing new technology in time for application in the first manned space projects. John enjoyed visiting the retired X-15 at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, where it was hung above the original Wright Brothers' flyer.

Retiring from NASA in 1975, John remained active as an aero-space consultant. He authored The High-Speed Frontier, dealing with the history of several NACA high-speed aerodynamics research programs. He was a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and a recipient of several other national honors and awards. In 2015 he was inducted into the Langley Research Center NACA and NASA Hall of Honor.

John's family fondly remembers him as an avid sailor, woodworker, world traveler, hang gliding enthusiast, and builder and flyer of radio-controlled model airplanes. Most memorable were his love for his family and the beach and his overarching respect for the natural world.

John's loving partner and wife of 49 years, Rowena Daniel Becker, died in 1995. They are survived by their three children:, Mary B Maddox (Al) of Lynchburg, Nancy B. Lehman (Dale) of Galena,Il, and John D. Becker (Isabel) of Wilmington, NC; four grandchildren: Laura Adams, Brad Adams, Catherine Phillips, all of Lynchburg, and Jesse Lehman of Cedar Rapids, IA; and four great grandchildren: Rowena Phillips, Virginia Phillips, Julian Adams and Jonah Adams, all of Lynchburg. The family wishes to thank the staff of Westminster Canterbury Lynchburg for their kind attention to Dad's needs in his last years and most recently for allowing immediate family to be by his side.

A celebration of John's life will be held later followed by internment in Newport News, VA. Memorial contributions may be sent to the Nature Conservancy, 4245 N. Fairfax Dr. Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22203; the Natural Resources Defense Council, 40 West 20th St., New York, New York 10011; or a charity of your choice.

Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory, Lynchburg, is assisting the family. To send condolences, please visit tharpfuneralhome.com