Haley W. Rushing

Haley Wayne Rushing of New Smyrna Beach, Florida passed away Wednesday, December 16, 2020. He was born in Coffee County, Alabama on September 24, 1931. After moving to Alexander City, Alabama as a child, and graduating from Alexander City High School in 1949, he immediately enlisted in the US Air Force(USAF). Haley served as a radio operator during the Korean War on a USAF High Speed Crash Rescue Boat. Upon discharge from the service, Haley attended Auburn University–earning his Electrical Engineering degree in only 3 years by taking classes year round. After graduation from Auburn in 1956, he went to work for Lockheed Aircraft Company in California as a flight test engineer. In 1958, he took an engineering position with Martin Company in Huntsville, Alabama working on the Pershing I Missile System. In 1963, he took an engineering position with NASA at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville working on the Apollo Program that landed the first men on the Moon. When the Apollo Program ended, Haley took a 1-year position at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) to work on the Skylab Space Station Program, while living in New Smyrna Beach (NSB), Fla. In 1973, he moved his family back to Huntsville to work on the Space Shuttle Program. In 1981, Haley and his family made their final move back to NSB, Fla., where he finished his 26-year career with NASA at KSC with the position of Space Shuttle Payload Manager, retiring in 1989. He then worked another two years with Analex Aerospace until retiring again in 1991 to spend time with his family, travel, and enjoy life.

Haley is survived by his devoted wife of 63 years, Mattie Ruth Rushing; son Stephen Rushing (Meredith) of Altamonte Springs, Fla.; son J. Douglas Rushing (Alpharetta, Ga); son Jonathon Rushing (Trish) of New Smyrna Beach, Fla.; sister Peggy Daniels (Charles) of Birmingham, Ala.; granddaughter Chelsea Dunbar (Reese) of Sarasota, Fla.; grandson Alex Rushing (Shelby) of Oveido, Fla.; granddaughter Vicki Rushing of Casselberry, Fla.; grandson Nathan Rushing and granddaughter Rachael Rushing of Alpharetta, Ga.; great grandchildren Gavin and Peyton Dunbar, Blakeley and Ford Rushing; many loving, nieces, nephews, and cousins. A gathering of family & friends will take place at Volusia Memorial Funeral Home in Port Orange, Fla. on January 9, 2021, with the service being performed by his cousin, Greg Kannon. Haley will then be taken to his final resting place in Alexander City, Ala. to be near his parents who preceded him in death, Curtis and Eula Mae Rushing.