Rittenhouse, Lewis Eugene -
Tullahoma - A Celebration of Life service for Mr. Lewis “Lew” Eugene Rittenhouse of Tullahoma will be held at a later date and time for family and close friends. Father Michael Murphy of St. Barnabas’ Episcopal Church will officiate services. Mr. Rittenhouse passed away Wednesday, June 16, 2010 at his residence after a brief illness. He was born July 17, 1928 the son of the late Melvin A. Rittenhouse and Edyth Sherwood Rittenhouse. A native of Glen Park, Indiana, after graduating from Lew Wallace High School in 1946, Rittenhouse enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served from 1946-1950 and then from 1950-1952 in the inactive Naval Reserve. He attended Valpariso University and graduated from Purdue University in 1956. He later obtained an M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Tennessee Space Institute in 1969.Retiring in December 1984 after 28 years of service with Sverdrup/ARO (predecessor to Jacobs Technology Inc. and ATA at AEDC) as the ASTF Branch Chief. He also served as the Vice President of European Operations for ARO, Inc., and manager of the Amsterdam office, Deputy Director of ETF,Branch Manager of the Technology applications branch and supervisor of the Aerodynamics section of PWT. After his early retirement, he continued to provide consulting engineering in Minneapolis, MN and Huntsville, AL. Rittenhouse was the author of 36 AEDC Technical reports on Aerodynamic Testing, gas dynamics, MHD and several published articles in professional journals as well as numerous presentations at professional and technical seminars and symposia.
He was an associate fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics as well as regional and Tennessee section director, receiving several awards. He was a charter member of the National Management Association Arnold Chapter and member of the Executive Committee, a founding life member of the Bonanza/Baron Museum of the Staggerwing Museum Foundation, Inc. and Jaycee of the Year for Tullahoma after serving as state-wide chairman of the State Junior Golf Tournament sponsored by the Tennessee Jaycees. Returning to his days of youth, he loved to ride his 1997 Harley Heritage Springer.
In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by a brother Robert Rittenhouse.
Survivors include his wife, Linda Needham Rittenhouse of Tullahoma; daughter, Laura Lee Rittenhouse Smith and husband Jack of Tullahoma and three grandchildren, Shane Y. Woodward and husband, Ryan of also of Tullahoma, Hayley E. Patton and Rachel N. Patton both of Lexington, KY and great-grandchildren, Lillian and Carter Woodward of Tullahoma; and a sister, Marilyn Rittenhouse Harris of Honolulu, Hawaii.
The family requests no flowers. For those wishing to pay tribute, the family has requested donations be made to the Coffee County Imagination Library, 1329 Mc Arthur Blvd., Suite 1, Manchester, TN 37355 ATTN: Margaret Cunningham or 5 Loaves 4 Kids, 317 Sharondale Drive, Tullahoma, TN 37388 ATTN: Belinda Bricken.
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Coffee County Funeral Chapel786 McMinnville Hwy
Manchester, TN 37355
(931) 723-3330
http://www.coffeecountyfuneralchapel.com/