Noel Thyson died peacefully at home on May 2. He was 87 and a resident of Winchester, MA for 62 years.

Noel was born and raised on a farm in Quincy, IL, and remained devoted to his childhood roots throughout his life, upholding qualities of hard work, resilience and resourcefulness that life on the family farms commanded. He was the son of Chester and Mary (Austin) Thyson.

He received an M.S. in Aeronautical Engineering while he was a University Fellow and a B.S. with Honors in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Illinois in 1960. Honoraries include: Sigma Tau, Sigma Gamma Tau, Tau Beta Pi, Sigma Xi, and Pi Mu Epsilon. He received a distinguished Alumni Award in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Illinois in 1977. He was a lifelong member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and authored some 20 papers in the field of Aerodynamics.

Noel worked the summer of 1958 at North American Aviation on the X-15 rocket airplane, and thereafter as a research assistant at the University of Illinois while he completed his Master’s thesis, operating shock tubes and assisting in taking data on the transmission of electromagnetic waves through plasmas created by strong shock waves. After graduation, he accepted a job at Avco Systems Division in 1961 (bought by Textron in 1984), where he worked for 47 years, retiring in 2009.

Noel held many supervisory positions at Avco/Textron in the fields of aerodynamics, thermodynamics, flight mechanics and materials. Throughout his career, he was involved in the development of Air Force strategic missile systems, tactical weapons systems, manned space vehicles, and energy conservation technology. Much of his research focused on hypersonic inviscid and viscous flow phenomena, nosetip material ablation phenomena, ballistic missile accuracy, internal flows associated with high powered lasers, high velocity impact phenomena, aerodynamic windtunnel and hyperthermal arc testing, and energy conversion techniques.

He began his career assessing the thermal protections systems for the Apollo missions and was part of the team that developed the AVCOAT 5026 technology for the heat shield that has been used in both missions to Mars and most recently, NASA’s Artemis II to the moon. Most of his career was associated with Air Force Strategic Missile Forces, both offensive and Missile Penetration Aides (PENAIDS) weapon systems (decoy systems used by ballistic missiles to penetrate defense systems). Under his supervision, Operational and Flight Test Vehicles were designed and flight tested that included the aerodynamic design of the Mark 21 reentry vehicle and ascent shroud on the Peacekeeper (chosen as the payload for the new Air Force Sentinel ICBM in 2022) and the Operational Mark 11 vehicle aboard ICBM systems Minuteman I and II. He was well respected by all who served under his guidance as well as peers across the Air Force ICBM community, colleagues and competitors, alike.

Noel was an avid skier, enjoyed sailing, and was a former director of the Winchester Boat Club. In retirement, he especially relished time spent with family and friends in Gloucester, MA and Quechee, VT, and volunteered for the Hospital Equipment Loan Program (HELP). He was married to the late Judith (Meyer) Thyson for 54 years, and is survived by two daughters: Lisa Thyson Craig (David) of Winchester, and Anne Thyson Charron (Andrew) of Quechee, VT. Grandchildren include Timothy and Peter Craig, and Brian and Natalie Charron. He is additionally survived by his sister, Linda Casburn (James), of Blue Springs, MO and three nephews, Kevin, Kurt (Jane) and Kris (Tracy) Casburn.

A Memorial Service will be held on Wednesday, May 27 at 11:00 am at the Parish of the Epiphany, 70 Church St. in Winchester. In lieu of flowers, as an expression of sympathy, memorial contributions may be sent to Winchester Hospital Gift Processing, Office of Philanthropy, 529 Main Street, 4th Floor, Charlestown, MA 02129. You may also donate online at Giving.WinchesterHospital.org.