Richard Magnus Monson
November 25, 1939 ~ March 10, 2018
Richard M. Monson
Richard passed away, surrounded by his family, on March 10, 2018 at INOVA Fairfax Hospital after an extended battle with lung cancer. Richard is survived by his loving wife of 56 years, Patricia and their three children: Katherine Handforth (Bill), Richard (Jenny) and Daniel (D’Arcy). He is also fondly remembered by six grandchildren: Brian, James, David, Delaney, Max and Camryn; and 5 siblings: Norman, William, James, Anne, and Lynne.
He was born in Worcester, MA. He attended Virginia Tech where he joined the USAF ROTC and became the lead honor court prosecutor. After graduating with a BS in mathematics, Richard focus was space systems and the missile program for the Air Force. Richard retired from the Air Force so he could begin his second career at NASA in the Earth Science Division. There he became the project manager for several projects/payloads that went to space on different Space Shuttles. He also worked on joint project/payloads with the German (DARA), Italian (ASI), Russian (Roscosmos) and Canadian (CSA) Space Agencies. Richard was the Project Manager for the SIR-C (Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C). In 1994, the SIR-C was sent to space on the Space Shuttle Endeavor where it snapped images of Egypt that triggered the discovery of ancient roads.
Richard’s Memorial Mass will be held at the Old Post Chapel at 12:45 PM, Fort Myer, VA, before being finally laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors.
Richard passed away, surrounded by his family, on March 10, 2018 at INOVA Fairfax Hospital after an extended battle with lung cancer. Richard is survived by his loving wife of 56 years, Patricia and their three children: Katherine Handforth (Bill), Richard (Jenny) and Daniel (D’Arcy). He is also fondly remembered by six grandchildren: Brian, James, David, Delaney, Max and Camryn; and 5 siblings: Norman, William, James, Anne, and Lynne.
He was born in Worcester, MA. He attended Virginia Tech where he joined the USAF ROTC and became the lead honor court prosecutor. After graduating with a BS in mathematics, Richard focus was space systems and the missile program for the Air Force. Richard retired from the Air Force so he could begin his second career at NASA in the Earth Science Division. There he became the project manager for several projects/payloads that went to space on different Space Shuttles. He also worked on joint project/payloads with the German (DARA), Italian (ASI), Russian (Roscosmos) and Canadian (CSA) Space Agencies. Richard was the Project Manager for the SIR-C (Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C). In 1994, the SIR-C was sent to space on the Space Shuttle Endeavor where it snapped images of Egypt that triggered the discovery of ancient roads.
Richard’s Memorial Mass will be held at the Old Post Chapel at 12:45 PM, Fort Myer, VA, before being finally laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors.
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