Clifton O. Highman

Clifton O. Highman, age 82, formerly of Boulder, Colo. and a resident of Pittsburgh since 2011, passed away January 31, 2018 at home. He was born January 13, 1936 in Fresno, Calif., to Oral Clifton and Jewell Mae (Miller) Highman and lived in Soledad and Bakersfield, Calif. He graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and was married to Rosalie Snider from February 14, 1959 until her death in 1986. In December 1988 he and Rose Mary Runions Riggs married after a whirlwind courtship. He first worked for Philco-Ford Corp. then Lockheed Corp. as a mechanical design engineer. He moved his young family to Boulder, Colo. and began to work for Ball Brothers Research Co., later to become Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corp. He began his time at Ball working on Skylab and worked on various spacecraft, instruments, and star trackers for the next thirty-three years. He was thorough in his work and enjoyed being creative and precise in his designs. He also enjoyed mentoring engineers. Clif’s hobbies included flying model airplanes, building items for the home, genealogy, hiking, travel, and being active in his children’s and grandchildren’s lives. He was a member of Boulder Genealogical Society, North Hills Genealogists, and Longvue Acres Garden Club. He and Rose Mary attended plays, symphonies, operas and outdoor talks. He volunteered at churches in Boulder and Pittsburgh. Those who knew Clif loved his humor, smile, politeness, intelligence, inquisitive nature, stories, and his ability to fix anything. He is survived by his wife, sons Clifton L. (Melody), Westminster, Colo. and Scott, Alameda, Calif., daughter Carisa (Andy) Roth, Peoria, Ariz., step-children Will (Carol Slawson) Riggs, Hong Kong and Rebecca (Matt) Brunner, Pittsburgh, and five grandchildren, Alex and Zach Roth, Charlie, Isabel, and Jeffrey Brunner.Services will be 11 a.m., Saturday February 10th at St. Paul United Methodist Church, 1965 Ferguson Road, Allison Park, PA 15101. Inurnment will be at a later date in Mountain View Memorial Park in Boulder, Colo. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to National Park Foundation, Audubon Society, Boulder County Parks and Open Space Foundation, St. Paul’s UMC Allison Park, Mt. View UMC Boulder, Colo. or Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Arrangements are under the direction of HP Brandt Funeral Home, Inc., 1032 Perry Hwy. Ross Twp., (412 364 4444). Condolences may be offered at www.brandtfuneralhome.com