William Patrick Rahilly

Pat was proceeded in death by his wife Patricia Lee Rahilly (married August 23, 1964) and his sister Mary Patricia Rahilly.

Pat was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the son of Donald and Dorothy E. Rahilly on February 23, 1941. He attended high school in Watertown, South Dakota. He went on to major in physics at South Dakota State University and earned a Ph.D. in nuclear physics at Ohio State University.

He began his career as a contractor with the U.S. Air Force in New Jersey and eventually made his way to Dayton, Ohio when he was recruited by Wright Patterson Air Force Base to work in the Aero Propulsion laboratory from 1967 to 1985.

His love for power systems on satellites drew him to southern California and eventually northern Virginia where he worked for a total of 30 years for the Aerospace Corporation.

His hobbies included building intricate model Spanish warships and working on complicated equations involving dark matter and how it affects the universe.

He also had a deep love for drumming, and he was almost recruited by the beloved country/rockabilly singer, Sherwin Linton, to tour with Linton’s band after graduating high school. Pat’s mother, Dorothy, was not happy about this and encouraged Pat to continue with his pursuit of higher education in the sciences, which of course he did.

Another interest of Pat’s was golf. For years he played weekly with a group of his closest friends and stated that his best score “was an 83”. He also had an affinity for donuts and ice cream and would never turn down an offer of either treat.

Pat is survived by his daughter Erin, his grandson Chris and brothers Tom and Don, nieces, nephews and grand-nieces and grand-nephews.

When family or friends would ask Pat for words of wisdom or advice, he would often say, “If you’re going to believe in something, believe in yourself.”

Pat will be missed dearly but will always be remembered for his intellect, his love of nuclear fission and fusion and especially for his dry sense of humor.