John Curtis Peck
John Curtis Peck, 81, passed away on April 25, 2021 in Webster, Texas. He was born on July 1, 1939 in Roswell, New Mexico, to Ellen L. Drury and Ernest L. Peck.
He is survived by his: wife, Julie Mattheaus; daughters, Angela Peck, Andrea Crossman, and Wendi Owen; and son, John Peck, Jr. Between family and extended family, he is survived by numerous grandchildren and great-children.
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of New Mexico and eventually ended up at NASA Johnson Space Center where he worked on several projects and programs and eventually became the Project Manager for the Shuttle Remote Manipulator System.
He had a passion for work, sailing, and photography, and loved traveling and coming home.
A viewing will be held on Thursday, April 29, 2021, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon, at the Crowder Funeral Home, Webster, Texas. A brief ceremony will be held at 12:30 p.m. at the Seabrook Cemetery, 615 Pine Gully Road, Seabrook, Texas.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made to Shriner’s Hospitals for Children.
I had the rare privilege of getting to know and working with John on the Shuttle Remote Manipulator System. He was a salty guy who demonstrated great patience in putting up with me and trying to educate me. I really appreciate him and treasure our relationship. My sincere condolences to his family. I know he will be missed. Happy sailing my old friend!
So sorry. He was a major contributor to the success of the RMS.
My condolences. I worked with John for many years starting with the Space Vision System. I appreciate the knowledge and help he gave me in making the project successful.
Larisa Beach
28Apr21
My sincere condolences.
I worked with John for several years on the International Space Station Mobile Transporter System.
Very thorough and knowledgeable Engineer who contributed greatly to the success of the International Space Station.
Enjoy your sailing on the calm seas.
I was sorry to hear of John’s passing. I worked with him on space station robotics for several years. His was a driving force in the department and his knowledge was key to our successes. I hope his family and friends all have many wonderful memories of him to sustain them through this difficult time.
I worked with John for many years when I was at Spar.
I often speak to people of some of the more entertaining moments we had. Including when I fainted one night having dinner with John and Julie.. It was a social occassion, not business.
John said later I fainted because it was the first time I ever saw him pick up a check. But I needn’t worry he said, he wouldn’t do it again.
I want to thank John (and Julie) for great memories and opportunities.
I wish him a peaceful sleep.
Condolences to Julie and all of John’s family.
So many people knew and worked with John here in Canada, his second home for many years, on the Shuttle RMS program. John was a consummate engineer, both intellectually and intuitively. He nurtured many and challenged all, engineers and managers alike, in the pursuit of a job well done. I know there are many from Spar and MDA who will join me in honouring John, and in expressing sympathies and condolences to Julie and his family. As I said, a job well done – Thanks, John.
To quote the movie Apollo 13 – “John was a steely eyed missile man”. My dealings with John began on the RMS program where I was the responsible engineer for the End Effector. As a young engineer working for SPAR aerospace he made me appreciate that we were involved in something more than a just a high tech endeavor, we were involved in mission assurance and astronaut safety. John was tough but fair and appreciated being given the cold hard facts as only sound decisions can be made this way. The are lessons I’ve learned through these interactions I have carried through with me for my entire career. They have made me a better engineer. Thanks John and rest in peace
I first met John when I started working as the responsible engineer for the RMS end effector. John was tough but fair and appreciated the cold hard facts and the honest truth as only good decisions can be made this way. As a young engineer he made me appreciate that we were involved in something more than a high tech endeavor, we were involved in mission assurance and astronaut safety. These lessons I’ve carried with me through my entire career. They have made me a better engineer. Thanks John and may you rest in peace.
I first met John when I started working as the responsible engineer for the RMS end effector. John was tough but fair and appreciated the cold hard facts and the honest truth as only good decisions can be made this way. As a young engineer he made me appreciate that we were involved in something more than a high tech endeavor, we were involved in mission assurance and astronaut safety. These lessons I’ve carried with me through my entire career. They have made me a better engineer. Thanks John and may you rest in peace.
I worked with John for many years, he was an outstanding engineer, a great project manager and mostly a great friend.
We always worked hard long hours but always managed to find time for a meal and gin or two.
The RMS program owes a lot to John for his guidance and continued support and his ability to keep the program on track.
Thanks John for all your help.
Condolences to Julie and John’s family
Chris Woodland
My condolences to John’s family. I worked in the same group when I first joined NASA in the mid 70’s. He was well respected co-worker during the Shuttle development years and his work with the RMS System.
So sorry to hear this sad news about John.
I also worked for John for many years on SRMS, starting with the testing of the first Arm around 1979. With the advent of the IBM PC in the mid-80’s, John saw the potential for how quick and easy access to data could make the program much more efficient. He invested heavily in technology during the sustaining phases of the program, making it arguably one of the most efficient NASA programs of its day.
John always pushed people to be their best. He enjoyed challenging people, especially the younger engineers. Open and honest communication were the hallmark of a successful program and John led by example. Many of the best engineers at Spar/MDA came out of this program and went on to do great things.
I’d like to thank John for making the SRMS program such a great place to work and gain valuable experience. Rest in peace John.
My deepest condolences to Julie and John’s family.
John and I started our NASA journey together in the Information Systems Division during the mid 60’s. I spent most of my time with John away from work enjoying our common interest: sailboats. John had a Cal 34 that he enjoyed racing in the Gulf. I crewed for him once during the offshore race between Galveston and Corpus. Early in the race while working the foredeck sails in 12 foot seas, I asked for a sandwich. They passed a salami and raw onion sandwich forward. I got very seasick after eating that thing and spent the rest of the race down below in the cabin.
John and I bumped into each other occasionally at Spar when he was working on the Station RMS. Spar built our 6 foot Ku-Band antenna and gimbals for the Station.
Sharing a table with John and Julie at the retiree luncheons was always fun to hear their latest adventures.
Wishing you the best of following seas my good friend.
Oron Schmidt
I’m sorry to hear of John’s passing and offer condolences to Julie and to his extended family. John changed my career path in 1988 when he invited me to become a civil servant and work with his RMS branch in the Orbiter Project Office. I learned more about how to get things done within the JSC system in my six years with John than I did in the subsequent 21 years of my time at NASA.
Though he often had unique ways of expressing it, John sincerely cared about those in his orbit. He worked hard and expected others to work hard with him. But he also played hard and enjoyed the company of those he respected and valued. He lived a full life.
My condolences to all who are impacted by his loss, but may we all live and learn from the experience of commitment and intent by which John lived.
Sadly I have only just learned of John’s passing as neither Peter Chadwick or I were able to reach him on his recent Birthday. I doubt if there were too many folk at Spar that knew John better than Peter and I in a social setting. John spent many evenings on my patio when visiting KSC. John, Peter and I, and sometimes Julie, shared many evenings at the ‘Victoria and Albert’ pub on Yonge Street after the regular meetings at Spar. My condolences to Julie and the family. Happy sailing John!!
Our sincere condolences to Julie and family.
I first met John in in the early 80s, he was the NASA Program Manager overseeing the Canadian contribution to the Space program, I was Director of Finance for that division of Spar.
Our first and probably last confrontation was about computers, John wanted to buy computers for the engineers assigned to his program, I was concerned about the double standard, his program engineers with computers,the rest with abacus or what ever engineers used at the time. The decision, equip them all (against overhead).
I was a wannabe sailor and told John, my wife Judy and I were having a sailboat built, he asked if I had chosen the navigation electronics, I said no. He said he had some hanging around the garage that I could have. A short time later our friend Peter Chadwick returned to Canada with bags of electronics.
John once told a story of a race he was in: It was an extremely stormy night, high seas,near zero visibility, they had several reefs to navigate before the finish. Suddenly a flare to port then another to starboard, a crew member said to John where do we go? His response, go between them and hope they are not on the same reef. THAT WAS JOHN
We have many fond memories of John and Julie, in Toronto, on the boat in Georgian Bay, and at their home in Seabrook. At Seabrook, he displayed other talents, great cook, gracious host, gardener ( hot peppers), the warmth of being with friends, he was different off the job.
“May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face; the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand”
I will miss you my friend. Both at work and play
Not many people can say they rolled a car over then went for a beer.
Condolences to Julie, Wendi and family. Rest in peace your buddy Peter