Dr. Charles Arthur "Chuck" Lundquist passed away Saturday, June 3, 2017 in Huntsville at the age of 89. Charles was born on March 26, 1928 in Webster, SD to Olive and Arthur Lundquist. He enjoyed small-town life as the only child of his parents until sister Dorothy arrived in 1939.

As he accompanied his father in outdoor activities (e.g. camping, boating, fishing), his interest in geology and physics emerged.

He completed high school early in the summer of 1945 with the intention of enlisting in the military. When the war ended quickly that summer, Charles enrolled instead at South

State University. He earned his Bachelor's degree in engineering physics in 1949.

The following fall, he entered graduate school in physics at the University of Kansas. There he met Patricia Richardson, who was a librarian at the university and a budding classical violist. Charles and Patricia were married on November 28, 1951.

Charles completed his PhD in the fall of 1953 and accepted a position as Assistant Professor of Engineering Research at Penn State University later that year. In 1954, he was unexpectedly swept up in the draft of students with previous deferments at the end of the Korean War.

After Basic Training at Fort Bliss, TX, Charles was assigned to the Guided Missile Development Division of Redstone Arsenal.

After completing a two-year tour in the Army, Charles accepted a civilian position as Chief of the Physics and Astrophysics branch of the Army Ballistic Missile Agency at Redstone Arsenal. Wernher Von Braun was technical director at that time; Charles helped him plan and launch Explorer I, the first US satellite.

When the Marshall Space Flight Center was founded in 1960, he transferred there and continued to work on satellites and space probes.

In July of 1962, Charles accepted a position as assistant director for science at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge MA, but he continued his close association with NASA and contributed his expertise to the success of the Apollo missions. Eleven years later, Charles moved the family back to Huntsville and became the Director of the Space Sciences Laboratory at the Marshall Space Flight Center, making key contributions to Skylab and the first Space Shuttle flight.

In 1981, he retired from NASA and joined the University of Alabama at Huntsville. He held the titles of Associate Vice President for Research and Director of the Interactive Projects Office when he retired in 2000.

He published several books during his tenure there and was involved in the creation of UAH's comprehensive archive of space research.

Charles has been an avid explorer of caves all his life and joined what would become the local chapter of the National Speleological Society in Huntsville in 1954. He authored and co-authored research papers detailing his adventures for several national conventions and published a book in 2005 entitled "Tales of Huntsville Caves".

Charles was preceded in death by his wife Patricia in 2004. Survivors include children, Clara Perkins, Dawn Lee (Robert), Eric Lundquist, Frances Lundquist, and Gary Lundquist (Kathleen); sister, Dorothy Parker (David); two grandchildren; and two greatly cherished great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be from 1 to 2 p.m. Thursday, June 8, 2017 at Laughlin Service Funeral Home, with a memorial service following in the chapel. Disposition of ashes will be at a later date.