Eugene Alfred Laumann

Eugene A. Laumann passed away on May 16, 2019 at the age of 89. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Carol, and his 3 children, Brett, Lisa and Stacey Laumann. He is also survived by his son-in-law, Steve Moran-Cassese, and two grandsons, Max  and Julian Moran.

Gene was born and raised in St. Louis, MO. He had an early interest in sports and airplanes, but a teenage bout of polio limited his sports participation and he developed new interests in music, theater and student government. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology at St. Louise University. An ROTC member, he joined the Air Force in 1951 and was sent to Penn State to complete a second Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology and then served for 2.5 years as a meteorologist at Furstenfelbruck Airforce Base in Germany. During that time, he enjoyed skiing and touring Europe in his Austin Healey in his off time.

Gene arrived in California in November 1956 to work at the Southern California Cooperative Wind Tunnel (CalTech). In 1959 he moved to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where he worked until his retirement in 1995 on projects ranging from testing materials at hypersonic and supersonic speeds, space and undersea exploration, and the environment. His career at CalTech/JPL spanned 39 years.

Eugene and Carol McGlasson were engaged at Christmas 1957, and married in March 1958. They shared a great love of skiing, hiking and nature. In their years together they enjoyed annual family adventures to Mammoth Mountain, multi-state road trips, backpacking and camping in their tent trailer. In retirement, Carol and Gene were fortunate to travel the world together.

Gene was a dedicated member of Pasadena Presbyterian Church. He sang in the Kirk Choir for 25 years, served on the Board of Trustees, was chair of the budget committee, and supported many youth, community, charity and facility maintenance projects.

Throughout his life, Gene was challenged by the effects of polio and poor vision, but these disabilities did not limit his drive for challenge and adventure.

A memorial service will be held at Pasadena Presbyterian Church on Saturday July 6, 2019 at 11:00 am. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Pasadena Presbyterian Church, the Environmental Defense Fund or the Braille Institute.