John Conrad Gustafson, 87, of Gloucester, passed away on Tuesday, August 20, 2024. He was born December 13, 1936 in New York City, New York, to Axel Gustafson and Hedvig Gustafson (Lorentson). He was a graduate of Concordia Preparatory School, Bronx, New York. John earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Connecticut and a Master of Science degree in Engineering Mechanics from George Washington University. He was a Licensed Professional Engineer in Virginia.
John began a career at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., in 1962. During his career at NASA, John worked as a Research and Project Engineer on several important projects, including the Apollo 13 rescue, Viking Mission to Mars, Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment I (SAGE I), Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment II (SAGE II), National Transonic Facility (NTF), Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System Project (CERES), and several Space Shuttle projects. He was most proud of his work on the SAGE projects and a rain mission project that was included in the CERES effort. John retired from NASA in 1994 after 32 years of service and remained in the Hampton Roads area, briefly teaching part-time at Thomas Nelson Community College as an instructor of Engineering Statics.
John enjoyed woodworking and built the workshop of his dreams at his home in Gloucester. In his younger years, he had been a motorcycle enthusiast riding his 1979 BMW R65 motorcycle that his son Carl still rides to this day. John enjoyed restoring old tractors, and his most recent project had been a 1929 Farmall Regular. He also enjoyed traveling and spending time in the mountains at his cabin in Monterey, Va.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 42 years, Helen. Left behind to cherish his memory are his son, Carl and daughter-in-law Theresa of Friendswood, Texas; daughter, Carolyn and son-in-law Kevin of Greenacres, Wash.; son, John of Pearland, Texas; grandchildren, Jennifer, Tina, Tyler, Travis, Kyle, Dylan, Kandra, and Megan; great-grandchildren, Conrad, Elsie, Oakley, and Nakai, and his loving companion, Louisa Lorentson, and her son, Lars Lorentson of Gloucester.
A service will be held at 3 p.m. on Friday, August 30, 2024, at Hogg Funeral Home, 3098 George Washington Memorial Highway, Hayes, Va. Following the service, a reception for family and friends will be held at the family home. The inurnment will be private at Hillside Cemetery in Wilton, Connecticut, at a later date.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Lone Star Flight Museum, 11551 Aerospace Avenue, Houston, Texas 77034.
Services under the direction of Hogg Funeral Home & Crematory.