Pinson, Larry

Larry Douglas Pinson, 71, of Willis, passed away in his home February 12, 2012. Originally from Pike County, Ky. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Sarah Kathryn; his children, Earl Douglas and his wife, Marcella, Sharon Kay and her husband, Andy Honaker, and Leigh Anna and her husband, Matt Wilkins; his sister, Sue and her husband, Bob Vannoy, of Ponte Vedra, Fla.; and his 10 grandchildren, Kalin, Daniel, Katie, Corrie, Melinda, Emily, Heather, Benjamin, Courtney and Shannon. He was preceded in death by his parents, Earl Lee and Fern Bethel Pinson; and his siblings, Eileen Kangas, Jim, Allen, Jo Smith and Betty Stratton. He began his education in a two-room schoolhouse in Zebulon, Ky., received Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Civil Engineering from the University of Kentucky, and a Ph.D. in Engineering Science and Mechanics from Virginia Tech. After a short time with the Kentucky Highway Department, he began a career with NASA spanning three decades, consulting in the aerospace industry for several years after his retirement. He authored many technical papers, earned the Lifetime Achievement Award from the University of Kentucky, and was a Fellow in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). Larry was a member of the Radford Church of Christ in Radford, and a former Deacon at the Denbigh Boulevard Church of Christ in Newport News. He was also recently inducted into the Sons of the American Revolution. The family will receive friends from 5 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, February 15, 2012, at Horne Funeral Home, Christiansburg. The Funeral Service will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, February 17, 2012, at Lucas & Sons Funeral Home, Pikeville, Ky., with interment at the Spears Family Cemetery in Harold, Ky., following the service. Online condolences may be left by visiting www.hornefuneralservice.com.