Joel A. Gast, 75, formerly of Shawano, passed away peacefully on April 24, 2015, surrounded by family in San Diego, California.
Born on Jan. 21, 1940, Joel A. Gast grew up in Shawano. Upon graduating from Valparaiso University in Indiana, he and his wife, Rachel (Shellie), ventured out to Los Angeles, where he started his electrical engineering career in 1962 at North American Aviation.
In 1964, they moved to San Diego, where Joel was employed by Ryan Aeronautical. There he helped design the landing radar for the Lunar Excursion Module used on the first lunar landing in 1969. During his life he held various other jobs, including vice president at RD Instruments, a position he held for some time and where he mentored many young engineers along the way. He was most recently employed by Teledyne RD Instruments.
He taught his wife to golf, a pastime they enjoyed many years together. Among the best trips they took was to Hawaii with the family to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in 2012 — a wonderful memory they all share.
His wife and children, Andy (Tina), Bridget, Chris (Cherlyn) and Becky (Dave), will miss him immensely, as will his eight beautiful grandchildren, Morgan, Lindsey, Sebastian, Lily, Katy, Peyton, Jack and Matthew. He also leaves behind his brother, Jon, and sister, Julie, who reside in Sturgeon Bay.
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