Late space pioneer Joe Gavin recalled as 'rare' boss

He was known far and wide as Mr. Gavin, not just because he was a formal sort of man - he was that - but because of the respect colleagues had for him.

Joe Gavin, a retired president of the former Grumman Corp., died Sunday at age 90 at his home in Amherst, Mass.

He was one of America's space pioneers, heading Grumman's efforts to build the lunar lander spacecraft that took astronauts to the moon during NASA's Apollo program in the 1960s and early '70s.

One of the people who worked closely with him was Weyman "Sandy" Jones, then the chief spokesman for Grumman and now retired in California, where he continues to write books. Jones sent us a remembrance of Gavin that we would like to share:

"He was a rare combination of a specialist who could focus like a laser on a technical problem but who also had eclectic interests that included world affairs, local and U.S. politics and foreign cultures. No matter how hot the crisis his civility never failed, and he never compromised a principle. His New England reserve masked a rich sense of humor and a sensitive appreciation for others' feelings. During my 37 years in business I had many bosses, but Joe was the best."