GRIMME, BROOKS H., 83,

of Orlando, FL, passed away peacefully at his home on January 2, 2009. He was born July 13, 1925, in Memphis, TN, the only son of the late Brooks H. Grimme and Valerie Richardson Grimme.

He was a 1943 graduate of Tech High School, Memphis, and was a proud veteran of WWII, serving from 1943-1946 in the U.S. Navy, where he saw active duty in the Pacific Theater of Operations, with his final duty station being at Cavite Naval Base, Manilla, the Philippine Islands.

During WWII, Mr. Grimme was one of a select few to be chosen for extensive advanced training in aviation electronics radio/radar technology at the Naval Electronics Technicians School, Corpus Christi, TX, and had risen to the rank of AETM1c at the time of discharge in 1946.

Upon his arrival home in 1946, he began his college studies at Colorado A & M University, the University of Arkansas, married his sweetheart, Martha, in 1947, and graduated in 1950 with top honors, Magna Cum Laude, from the University of Florida, College of Engineering, BSEE. He was the only graduate in his class to be selected by the General Electric Company of Schenectady, NY, for advanced engineering training. He was also awarded an all-expense paid, three day vacation tour by Eastern Airlines for his outstanding educational achievements. He left General Electric in 1952 to take an electrical engineering position withFlorida Power & Light in Miami, FL.

After six years with FP&L, in 1958 he was appointed by the Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA), which in 1960 became the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), to the Marshall Space Flight Center, at Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville, AL, as a research engineer. He was an important member of Dr. Werner von Braun's historic fledgling team of rocket engineers and scientists that successfully developed and flew the Redstone, Atlas-C, D, E & F, Jupiter and Saturn booster rockets of the early Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space missions. During his tenure at Redstone, his pioneering research work also encompassed Surface-to-surface guided ballistic missiles and intercontinental ballistic missiles (battlefield nuclear weapons systems), specifically the Corporal, Lance, Nike-Zeus, Pershing I & II, and Titan I & II.

He participated as part of the launch team at Cape Canaveral in several of the live launches of the early satellite program. While with the space program, he received the credit and the patents for two inventions used in missile/rocket navigational and guidance systems. During this same time period, he continued his graduate engineering studies at UCLA and the University of Alabama, Huntsville, where he qualified for and received his PE. In 1966, he transferred to the Department of the Navy, and was reassigned to the new Naval Underwater Weapons and Training Center in Orlando, FL.

While with the Department of the Navy, he again received the credit and the patents for two more inventions that were critical in the development of guided underwater torpedoes, SUBROC anti-submarine ballistic missiles, and the submerged submarine launched Polaris missile systems. In 1971, after a brilliant and distinguished career as a respected space engineer and scientist, he retired from government service.

He then began a new career as a commercial property and business broker, which evolved into his own successful financial investment and commodities trading group. In his later years, he very much enjoyed being an ardent fan of his beloved Florida Gators, and loved going to the home football games in Gainesville when his health permitted it.

He was an avid outdoorsman, who loved to hunt and fish. He is survived by his wife, Martha; his daughter, Kay Grimme Collie of Orlando, FL; his son, Brooks Gary Grimme and his wife, Susan, of Middleburg, FL; six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Graveside services will with full military honors, will be held at 1PM Wednesday, January 7th at Florida National Cemetery, Bushnell, FL.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Hospice of the Comforter, 480 W. Central Parkway, Altamonte Springs, FL 32714. To leave a special message for the family online, please visit: www.NewcomerOrlando.com