Robert Hage Obituary

Robert Hage was born in Seattle, Washington to Sigurd and Adeline, the second of five children. Bob grew up in Port Moody, British Columbia where his father owned a logging camp. After a fire burned down the camp and the Great Depression hit in 1929, the family moved back to Seattle.



In 1934 Bob entered the University of Washington and majored in aeronautical engineering. He also met his future wife, Virginia Hamilton. He won a scholarship to MIT and after earning a M.S. was offered a teaching position at UW. WWII took him to Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio where he was chief of the Aerodynamics Branch of the Aircraft Laboratory(R&D). In 1946 Bob joined the Boeing Company where he headed up studies to prove the feasibility of jet propulsion for commercial airplanes. In 1949 he co-authored the classic textbook, Airplane Performance, Stability and Control, still used today in aeronautics courses around the world. In 1949 Bob was summoned by the Pentagon to head a study team investigating the potential of U.S. nuclear powered bombers. Returning to Boeing, Bob worked on the new 707 program and flew in the first 707 jet to New York to be delivered to Pan Am. In 1958 McDonnell Aircraft hired Bob as VP of the Transport Division and two years later as VP of Customer Service. Then he became VP of Advanced Product Planning, which led to the Gemini, Mercury and Apollo space missions. When McDonnell merged with Douglas, Bob moved his family to Long Beach, where he was asked to develop the wide-body commercial DC-10 jet. Later he oversaw the development of the STOL (short take-off landing) aircraft for the military. Bob retired as Executive Vice-President in 1979. He began consulting for McDonnell Douglas and lecturing at aeronautical schools (China, The Philippines, Argentina). Bob served on the board of The Navigators for 20 years as well as co-led the Business and Professional ministry.

In 2003 Bob completed his autobiography, When I Consider The Heavens, which chronicles his professional path as well as his spiritual journey. In 2007 he received The Pathfinder Award, which honors aerospace pioneers from the Pacific Northwest. He also received The Diamond Award from the UW Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics "to recognize the significant achievements of UW Engineering alumni who over a span of more than five decades transformed the face of aviation." As Sanford McDonnell, former CEO of McDonnell Douglas, put it "Bob's career covered the most exciting period in aerospace history from prop aircraft to jets to supersonic transports to unmanned satellites to astronauts on the moon and beyond."

Bob will be remembered not only as a "pathfinder" but also as a gentle and generous man, devoted to his family, his work and his God. He also had a passion for competitive games from chess, bridge, gin rummy to tennis, golf, and ping pong. His faith in a loving God was evident to all who knew him and even in his last days, he showed that love to those around him.

Bob is predeceased by Ginna, his wife of 69 years. He is survived by his sister Mary Hammond and his four daughters and their husbands, Beth and Paul Ronka, Pam and Walt Ritzman, Dana and Tom Steers, Chris and Dennis Jackson, along with 14 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

His life will be celebrated at 1:00 on July 29, 2016 at First Presbyterian Church, 219 E Bijou St, Colorado Springs, CO 80903

Memorial gifts can be made to Glen Eyrie, PO Box 6819, Colorado Springs CO 80934; memo "Hage Memorial"