Stuart Hanlein

1938 - 2020

Stuart L. Hanlein "Stu"  
Stuart L. Hanlein "Stu", 82, of Holly Springs, NC passed away on July 17, 2020. He was born on July 7, 1938 to Harry and Hazel Hanlein in Washington, DC, and grew up in Takoma Park, MD. Stu is survived by his wife of 54 years, LaVetta; their children Candace Richards (Tim) of Holly Springs, NC and Kenton Hanlein (Didi) of Germantown, MD; two grandchildren, Tyler Richards and Alexis Hanlein; sister Susan Allder of Sterling, VA and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and sister Harriette Clark.  Stu was part of the first graduating class of High Point High School in Beltsville, MD in 1956 and received his B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Johns Hopkins University in 1960 where he was a member of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity.  He began his career at the Naval Ordinance (NOL) Lab in Silver Spring, MD, and received his Master's Degree from the University of Maryland while at NOL. After Stu's tour in the Army, President Kennedy lured him to NASA to work on the Man on the Moon Space Project where he had a distinguished career in the space program. Stu was recruited by the CIA in 1981 and served as a Senior Scientist with the Space Shuttle Program. Following his retirement, he served as a Senior Scientist with MRJ Consultants, Inc. and then as an Independent Contractor. In 2000, Stu and LaVetta moved to Knoxville, TN and then to Holly Springs, NC in 2018. He is probably best known for his love of puzzles, cross-stitching, stamp collecting and antiquing. Stu loved sports...JHU Lacrosse, Tennessee Volunteers Football and Basketball, Baltimore Orioles and most importantly, he was a life-long Washington Redskins fan.  Stu was interred on July 21, 2020 at the Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery, Fort Bragg, NC with full military honors. A celebration of life will be held at a later date. Arrangements by Thomas Funeral Home. (https://www.thomasfuneral.com/obituaries/obituary-listings)  In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in his name be made to Fisher House Foundation, https://fisherhouse.org/