Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Terrence ("Terry") Harvey Ussher (May 28th, 1930 - August 22nd, 2017)

          By Chuck Black

Terry Ussher in an undated photo. Photo c/o theStar.com.
Terence ("Terry") Harvey Ussher, the program manager for the development of the first Canadarm at Spar Aerospace, has died.

Ussher, along with Spar VP of marketing (later president) John MacNaughton (1932 - 2006) and National Research Council (NRC) program managers Karl Doetsch and Gary Lindberg, were the best known of many Canadians shepherding our space program through its early days.

As outlined in his August 26th, 2017 Globe and Mail obituary under the title, "USSHER, Terence Harvey," Ussher was never satisfied with mediocrity:
In 1983, Canadarm was deployed on Space Shuttle Columbia's STS-2 mission where it was first tested in orbit. 
While our dad fretted that the 'Arm' might fail with 'Canada' tattooed on its' side, it performed flawlessly and gained international acclaim for Canada's space program. 
As the Program Manager for Canadarm at SPAR Aerospace, its' success was the pinnacle of a brilliant career borne of a passion for astronomy and space exploration. 
Ussher worked on the US Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and space shuttle programs. He is survived by his wife Ellen, sister Mary Brown, his children, Susan, John and Carolyn, their spouses Monica and Derek and his grandchildren, Katie, Sarah, Natalie, Jack and Luke.

A 1991 Toronto Star file photo showing Dr. Karl Doetsch, Dr. Garry Lindberg, John MacNaughton and Terry Ussher checking out the Canadarm as a preliminary to handing it off to NASA. Photo c/o Virtual Reference Library.

Friends and family may pay their respects at the Turner & Porter Yorke Chapel in Toronto on Wednesday, August 30th, 2017, from 10 am until the service begins in the Chapel at 11:00 am.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Hamilton.
Chuck Black.
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Chuck Black is the editor of the Commercial Space blog.

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