Richard L. Barkley

Richard L. Barkley died peacefully at his home in Palo Alto, California on April 5, 2003, at the age of 89. He was born in Pipestone, Minnesota on February 13, 1914. Richard, also known as "Spike", graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1937. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II on the destroyer U.S.S. Barker in the Asiatic Fleet. During the war he also worked at Moffett Field, where his proposal to the Bureau of Aeronautics for weight reduction and improvement of existing blimps resulted in the K-21, the first modern airship. He also developed the first gyro-stabilized unmanned aircraft drones. He resigned as Commander in 1947, and received a M.S. in mechanical engineering from Stanford University in 1949. He worked for National Motor Bearing in Redwood City, California prior to forming Aquanautics Incorporated in 1959. In later years, he enjoyed reading and writing about the U.S. Constitution, Russian history, and the Cold War, and carried on lively correspondences on these and many other subjects. He is survived by his beloved wife of 63 years, whom he married at the Schmidt family home in Olympia in 1939, Alice Schmidt Barkley; daughters, Mary Dicky Barkley, of Cleveland, Ohio, and Katherine Anne Barkley de Peralta, of Guadalajara, Mexico; son, Richard L. Barkley, Jr., of Redondo Beach, California; six grandchildren, Adam C. Clark, Claire A. Barkley, Bryan A. Barkley, Christine E. Barkley, David Z. Peralta, and Mariana K. Peralta; and two great-grandchildren, Mitchell C. Clark and William R. Clark. He was preceded in death by his son, Peter W. Barkley. He will always be remembered for his sense of humor, his love for animals, and his kindness to all people. Per his wishes, there will be no services, and his ashes will be buried in Olympia, Washington. Contributions may be made to the Richard Barkley Graduate Fellowship in Engineering, Stanford University, P.O. Box 20466, Stanford, California, 94309-0466.