Willard F Rockwell Jr

Mr. Rockwell was born in Boston and grew up there and in Pittsburgh. He received a degree in engineering from Pennsylvania State University and served in World War II as an Army captain in Washington. His career began in 1935 when he became an executive of the Timken-Detroit Axle Company, which his father had reorganized. Its name was later changed to Rockwell Standard. Mr. Rockwell returned to Pittsburgh from Detroit to work at Equitable Meter, a company his father was managing at the behest of the Mellon family. It evolved into the Rockwell Manufacturing Company. Eventually, the younger Mr. Rockwell became president of both Rockwell Standard and Rockwell Manufacturing. He merged Rockwell Standard with North American Aviation to form North American Rockwell, then added Rockwell Manufacturing to create Rockwell International. He stepped down as the company's head in 1979 and left its board in 1984. In 1981 he founded the Astrotech International Corporation, which promotes the commercial uses of space exploration. He retired in 1989. Mr. Rockwell was best known for the work of his companies in the United States space program, including the Apollo program, which put men on the moon in 1969, and the space shuttle project. Surviving are his wife of 50 years, the former Constance Templeton; four sons, G. Peter, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Russell A., of Fairfax, Va., and S. Kent and Willard F. 3d, both of Pittsburgh; a daughter, Patricia Boorn of Pittsburgh; two sisters, Eleanor Stuckeman and Betty Raphael, both of Pittsburgh, eight grandchildren and a great-grandson.