Sheldon Lee Tucker
8/29/1931 - 8/4/2023
Sheldon Lee Tucker, age 91, of Kerrville, Texas, died unexpectedly on August 4, 2023, in Kerrville. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio on August 29, 1931.
He was a devoted husband and caregiver to his wife of 69 years, Mary Ann Tucker. Other survivors include his son Craig Loren Tucker (JJ), his daughters Andrea Jean Gass, Rae Louise Tucker, and Jennifer Leigh Hees (Kenneth); six grandchildren and two great grandchildren; and his sisters Judith Alice Hittel (Erwin) and Kay Louise Bluhm (Gary). He was preceded in death by his parents Paul Cameron Tucker and Catherine Louise Dray Tucker.
He grew up in Cleveland, Ohio and graduated from high school at Cleveland Heights High School. He graduated from Case Institute of Technology (now Case Western Reserve University) in 1955 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering. He later earned a Master of Business Administration at the University of Houston at Clear Lake. Although his formal education ended, he was a life-long student who loved reading about and discussing all kinds of subjects, including history, science, and current political events.
He started his career as a Test Engineer for Brush Instruments (now Brush Industries) in Cleveland, Ohio, then moved to Sacramento, California to work for Aerojet General Corp. (now Aerojet Rocketdyne) supporting the Polaris missile program. He then moved to Houston, Texas to continue his career as a Senior Staff Engineer with Northrop Services, Inc. (now Northrop Grumman) at the NASA Johnson Space Center. He completed his career of 39 years after retiring in 1994 from Lockheed Engineering & Sciences Co. (now Lockheed Martin) as an Engineering Manager. He received numerous awards, most notably the prestigious NASA Silver Snoopy Award for his dedication and service to the space program.
He was very active during his retirement, and he contributed hundreds of volunteer hours to the community. Some of the programs included sharing his love of learning by tutoring students at the Literacy Advance Bay Area in Clear Lake City, Texas and at Families & Literacy, Inc. in Kerrville. He volunteered in the AARP tax preparation program for many years, both in Clear Lake City and in Kerrville. He was also a volunteer at the Kerrville Arts and Cultural Center, where he helped teach woodworking art to young children, and at Schreiner University in Kerrville, where he built bookshelves and did other help as needed for the STEM center.
He enjoyed woodworking and building and was a great handyman throughout his life. He could fix anything, and the family fondly remembers all the help he provided in home building and renovations and auto repairs. They could not keep up with him in his numerous hobbies and activities during his life, including running, sailing, bicycling, walking, and especially yoga, which he learned at age 75 and practiced until he died. He took the family on many fun and memorable camping trips, and he was an amateur naturalist.
The family will be holding a private memorial at a later date.
In remembrance of a generous and kind man and a life well-lived, memorial donations may be sent to Families & Literacy, Inc. in Kerrville, Texas or to Arms of Hope in Medina, Texas.
Condolences may be sent to Grimes Funeral Chapels of Kerrville (www.grimesfuneralchapels.com).
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