Aimison Jonnard

aimison jonnard
Aimison Jonnard

August 3, 1916 September 24, 2015

Aimison Jonnard of McLean, VA, passed away on Sept. 24. He was born at U. of the South in Sewanee, TN, where his father was a seminarian, and his mother was the daughter of the Treasurer of the College. Young Aimison and his family next lived in Johnson City, TN, where his father was rector of St John's Episcopal Church; then, to Savannah, GA, at St. John's on Madison Square. In 1930, the family moved to Manhattan, KS, living adjacent to St Paul's.

The "little apple" quickly became Aimison's most beloved hometown, as it was here that he rode horses over the Konza Plain, swam, danced, skated, golfed, played tennis, became an Eagle Scout, and made lifelong friends. After graduating valedictorian from Manhattan HS, he attended Kansas State U, studying chemical engineering and joining Beta Theta Pi fraternity. After graduation, he taught chemistry at his alma mater, later receiving a scholarship to grad school at Columbia U. While at an early career job at the Mellon Institute in Pittsburgh, he earned his PhD in chemistry from the U. of Pittsburgh.

During WWII, Dr. Jonnard joined DuPont to work on the production of a new productnylonand the manufacture of plastic nose cones for warplanes. Summing up his career, Aimison often said, "If they made chemicals, I worked for them." Later companies included Shell, Celanese and Esso/Exxon, and an adjunct professorship at Brooklyn Poly Tech. Aimison also wrote "Business Aspects of Chemistry," a series of books, tapes, and lectures that he presented to scientists at chemical corporations throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe.

Aimison was recognized by the Am. Chemical Assoc.; Chemical Marketing Research Assoc.; Am. Inst. of Chemical Engineers and was twice elected to Sigma Xi. KSU also elected him as Engineer of the Year.

In 1972, Aimison took a "retirement" job as Chief of the Division of Energy at the International Trade Commission in Washington D.C., where he worked for 29 years.

Throughout his life, Aimison loved to travel, garden, play tennis, golf and run. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Jean; three children and their families, Bill and Karen (Benson) Jonnard; Peter, Melanie (Kirkpatrick), Kate and Ashton Jonnard; and Peter, Stephanie (Jonnard), Jonathan and Danny Oppenheimer; and son-in-law Joe Wujcik, widower of Carol (Jonnard). A reception for family and friends will be held on Tuesday, October 13, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., at Money & King Funeral Home, 171 Maple Ave W, Vienna, VA 22180. His family will later have a service in Manhattan, KS, at St. Paul's church. His ashes will be interred at the family plot at the U. of the South.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Aimison's name to the Otolaryngology Dept. or the Wilmer Eye Clinic, both at Johns Hopkins U. & Medicine in Baltimore.

Funeral Home:

Money & King Funeral Home

171 W. Maple Ave.

Vienna, VA

US 22180

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