EASON, DAVID GEORGE, 70, passed away at home Thursday, March 12, 2009. David was born in Chicago, IL, and moved at an early age to a farm in LeMars, IA.

He completed his higher education in 1961 and moved to Florida, where he started his career in the space program at Kennedy Space Center. He did pre-flight testing of Telemetry and Guidance Systems on the Agena and Polaris programs at Lockheed Missiles and Space and pre-launch checkout of Apollo/Saturn first stage telemetry systems at Boeing. He worked in a technical and sales capacity for Tektronix, Inc. from 1969-1992.

After retirement from his career in the field of electronics, he worked in technology support with Orlando Tech operating a Patient Simulator training medical personnel in conjunction with Orlando Health Center. David was appointed a "Solar System Ambassador" by NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab in 1999.

David is survived by his loving wife, Judith and grandson, Ryan Schultz. He was preceded in death by his father, George Eason, Orlando, FL and is survived by his mother, Jean Sanford, Orange City, FL. He will be sadly missed by his family: son, Scott (Diana Abu-Jaber) Eason; granddaughter Grace, Coral Gables, FL; daughter, Kris (Jim) Effinger; grandson, Alec; granddaughter, Katie, Corona, CA; son, Ric (Faye) Schultz, Oceanside, CA; son, Ryan (Melissa) Schultz; grandsons, Evan, Zane, Wyatt, Garrett, Clermont, FL; brother, Dan Eason, Cocoa, FL; sisters, Karen Patterson, Taylorsville, KY, and Wendy Jansen, Olympia, WA; stepmother, Leela Eason, Orlando, FL, and many nephews and nieces.

A "Celebration of Life" will be held Saturday, April 18th at 11AM at Conway United Methodist Church, 3401 S. Conway Road, Orlando, FL.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Planetary Society (http://www.planetary.org) or The Orlando Science Center (http://www.osc.org).