Charles R. "Richard" McDaniel

Charles McDaniel "Richard", 79, passed away on Friday evening, June 8, 2012 at St. Vincent Hospice in Indianapolis.

Richard was born on December 10, 1932 in Shelbyville, IN, the third child of William Franklin "Frank" and Lelia Maude "Betty Lou" McDaniel. When he was a young boy, his parents moved to Indianapolis, where he lived his life and raised his family. He graduated from Arsenal Technical High School in 1951 and from Purdue University in 1955 with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering. Richard served in the U.S. Army from 1955 to 1957.

Having worked in both government and the private sectors, Richard's aeronautics and astronautics career was dedicated to the aircraft and guided/ballistic missile industry. Among his many projects, Richard served as the Program Manager for the fleet ballistic missile Polaris, Poseidon and Trident guidance systems. He also worked on terminal guidance for the Tomahawk Cruise Missile Program. Richard retired in 1989 after a distinguished career.

Richard was a true renaissance man, a scholar and man of many interests, dedicated to education, knowledge and helping others. Richard was a dedicated and caring husband, father, grandfather, uncle, cousin and friend. He enjoyed carpentry, cooking, gardening, traveling, working around the house and spending time with his grandchildren. One of his many passions was genealogy. He actively researched his own family ancestry, one recent highlight being locating and visiting the grave of Alexander Campbell McDaniel, his Civil War veteran great-grandfather. His vitality, interest in others, and joi de vivre were truly an inspiration to everyone he came into contact with.

Richard married the love of his life, Barbara Elizabeth on January 26, 1958 in Indianapolis. There were the parents of two children, Kenneth and Eileen.

Richard is survived by his wife, Barbara; son, Kenneth McDaniel (Anne); daughter, Eileen Fetherson; four grandchildren, Ian and Katherine McDaniel, Gerald and William Fetherson; many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends around the world.

Richard was preceded in death by his parents; one sister (Elizabeth Louise Meese); one stillborn brother (Robert Franklin McDaniel); and a son-in-law, Gerald Fetherson, Sr.