Richard Landon Rood, 65, of Lancaster, Calif., and a former Newtown resident, died unexpectedly April 5. The first of four children, he was born May 15, 1950, in Grand Rapids, Mich., to Ruthanne (DeGraves) and Reo Landon Rood.

An aviator almost since birth, he often flew on trips with his pilot father to the amusement of his father's many employers. His family made numerous moves during his formative years but he ultimately graduated from Newtown High School in 1968.

He was a man of many talents and skills, a true Renaissance man. A chemist by degree (Western Connecticut State College), he ran a successful beef cattle farm with his father in Warsaw, N.Y., for ten years, and worked as an engineer for Moog in East Aurora, N.Y. He finally fulfilled his passion for aviation at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, where he worked for the last 30 years. At NASA, he was initially an instrumentation engineer and worked on numerous aircraft projects, including the NASA F-18 High Alpha Research Vehicle, the X-29 Advanced Technology Demonstrator Aircraft, and the X-43A Hyper-X Hypersonic Research Aircraft. He served as the radio frequency spectrum manager and was ICTS deputy coordinator NASA Dryden/Armstrong Flight Research Center.

A devout Christian, Mr Rood was a beloved member of the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Tehachapi, Calif., where he will be missed dearly by those who knew him. A man of great virtue, of moral absolutes, he was loved by all. He gave selflessly of himself and asked for nothing in return.

His parents; siblings Rhonda Anne Rood, Janine Elizabeth Rood and Mike Trowbridge, Thomas David and Lori Rood; and his many cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends far too numerous to count survive him.

Services will take place at 1 pm, Sunday, May 1, at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 329 South Mill Street, Tehachapi, and at 11 am, May 21, at the First Baptist Church, 28 Main Street, Wyoming, N.Y.