Lewis Beryl Thurston

1924 - 2022

Lewis Beryl Thurston, Jr died on May 28, 2022, after a long and interesting life of 97 years. Born in Portage, Ohio on September 23, 1924, he moved to the Peninsula as a young man and worked at Ft. Eustis Army Hospital. Later, he was employed by NACA Langley, in Hampton, VA and continued working there when the name was changed to NASA, reflecting the nation's entry into the exploration of space. Simultaneously he attended William and Mary, where he eventually graduated with an engineering degree. While at NASA he worked on many projects including the development of a heat shield invented to protect astronauts during reentry. Following his retirement from NASA, Lewis and his wife Esther traveled the contiguous states and Alaska rockhounding and visiting national parks. They also made beautiful jewelry from their finds. Lewis was a 32nd degree Mason, he belonged to the Poquoson Lodge, the Army Navy Lodge, and had been Master of the Monitor Lodge in Hampton, Virginia. Lewis is survived by his wife, Audrey, his son, Lewis B Thurston, III, and his grandchildren, Rebecca Thurston Hooker (Rodney), Jenny Thurston Klich (Thomas), Zachary Thurston (Pamela) and Benjamin Thurston. Also living to cherish his memory are nieces Wendy Thurston and Niki Thurston Stisser (Barry), as well as six great-grandchildren. Predeceasing him are his parents, Mary H. Thurston and Lewis Thurston, his late wife, Esther O. Thurston, his son David R. Thurston, his brother Alfred C. Thurston, and a nephew, John A. Thurston. Later, the family will have a private memorial service in West Virginia. In lieu of flowers the family requests family and friends to make a donation to a favorite charity in his name.