Jack O. Pearson

August 21, 1941 - February 28, 2023 Jack Pearson, beloved husband, father, grandfather and brother, passed away on February 28, 2023 in Santa Monica, CA.  Born in Artesia, New Mexico on August 21, 1941 to Oscar Pearson and Ruth Bjorkholm Pearson, Jack and his twin brother Edward "Ted" Pearson, grew up in Artesia and graduated from Artesia High School in 1959.   Jack moved to the Midwest and earned his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University in 1964, where he was in the marching band. Jack moved to California to begin his aerospace engineering career at Hughes Aircraft Company, where he was awarded a fellowship and earned his PhD in engineering from UCLA in 1971. Jack also completed UCLA's Graduate School of Management Executive Program in 1986.
Jack met his wife Rebecca Cooper at the First United Methodist Church in Santa Monica playing Volleyball. They were married in 1970 and have two daughters, Ruthie Pearson-Smith and Jenny Mattesich. Jack and Becky celebrated 53 years of marriage. ??Jack was an expert airborne radar technologist and spent his 38-year career at Hughes Aircraft Company and later Raytheon. He applied system engineering skills to develop very advanced performance radars for military aircraft needs and problems. Jack was a leader in the development of stealth radar for stealth aircraft and managed the largest and most profitable Hughes Aircraft radar product line (F/A-18). Jack worked on top secret programs that took him to locations with test fields, to the Pentagon, Washington D.C., to meet all branches of the military, and traveled to many foreign countries for the manufacture and sale of fighter airplanes and for air shows. Jack worked on Pave Mover, radar on Tacit Blue, the B-2 radar programs, as the radar system engineering manager and later radar system program manager for F/A-18. Jack retired from Raytheon in 2003 after seven years as the Vice President and General Manager of the Air Combat and Strike Systems business unit in El Segundo, having spent his career working on radar and technology for programs such as F-4, F-15, F/A-18, AV-8B and B-2.
Jack continued his work after retirement as an independent consultant, working to develop reliable technology to assure unpiloted air vehicles avoid collisions with other aircraft.
Jack was a respected leader at Hughes/Raytheon and will be remembered as a smart, respected man, mentor to many, with a calm and rational demeanor, and amazing manager and friend.
Jack was a member of professional organizations IEEE (Institute of Electric and Electronics Engineers) and Founders of Stealth, and in addition was active in his church community as part of the FUMC Trustees and Alders Gate Board of Trustees. Jack spent much time researching his family's genealogy and documenting in books for his family. He enjoyed reading, continuous education, history, photography and travel, always creating photo albums to remember his journeys and special memories. He supported the arts and frequented museums and Broadway shows, was a collector of coins and special issue stamps, loved gardening his roses, watching old movies, loved the southwest, was known for always drinking Pepsi or Coca-cola, and most of all, loved spending time with his family.
All who knew Jack appreciated his kind and caring disposition, his quiet leadership, his love for learning, and his sense of humor.
Jack is survived by his wife Becky, their daughters Ruthie (& RJ Smith) and Jenny (& Jeff Mattesich), and four loving grandchildren: Bailey and Cooper Smith, and Henry and Russell Mattesich, brother Ted (Georgia) Pearson and sister-in-law Martha Merritt. Jack was dearly loved by his family and will be greatly missed by all who cared for him.
Memorial Services will be held May 12, 2023 11:00am at the First United Methodist Church in Santa Monica at 1008 11th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90403. Reception following.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to:
John Wayne Cancer Foundation (www.donate.johnwayne.org)
The FUMC Sharingers Scholarship Fund (1008 11th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90403)