JACK PAILLE, ROCKLEDGEJack Jean-Paul Frenchy Paille, 86, of Rockledge, died peacefully, surrounded by his family on Tuesday, January 15, 2008. He was born in Bordeaux , France on August 26, 1921. He resisted the German occupation of France during the Second World War by serving as a flight engineer in The Free French Naval Air Service (Aeronavale francaise libre), based in Northern Africa. After the war, Jack was assigned to the French Embassy in Washington, DC and became a US citizen shortly thereafter. He and his family moved to Brevard in 1959, then began a long career in the Space Program. He was first employed by Pan Am, then was hired by Convair as a technician involved with the launch of lunar and planetary spacecraft in the early 1960s and progressed to Project Mercury. Then he transferred to North American Aviation and worked throughout the Apollo program, and he ended his career as a supervisor with Lockheed-Martin on the Space Shuttle program. Jack was predeceased by his wife of 62 years, Madeline. He is survived by his son Jean Paille (Linda); daughters, Sue Pagano (Frank) and Bonita Moore (Philip); grandchildren: Christopher Paille, Tracye Clark (George), Katherine and Stephen Pagano, Jack and Rachael Moore; and his faithful dog, Baron. A memorial service will be held for Jack in May. In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made to Health First Hospice. |
