Douglas Henry Moreton |
| Posted 2009-08-07 by Sharon |
| The Wickenburg Sun, Wickenburg, AZ January 17, 2007, p. A11 Douglas Henry Moreton died on Nov. 28 after a brief illness. Doug was born in Stony Point, N.Y., in 1917 to his parents Henry and Mary. He attended Menlo College and then Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he received his engineering degree. While he was at school he met Elinor Van Wie at a play audition and promised to marry her and take her to California. He fulfilled the promise of their first date and they moved to Pacific Palisades to his new job at Douglas Aircraft Company. They built a life together there, building their own home on the edge of a canyon leading to the Pacific Ocean and raising three children. He spent his career at Douglas, where he developed lubricating and hydraulic fluids. He received the Admiral Luis de Flores flight safety award in 1969 in recognition of his work in developing Skydrol, a nonflammable hydraulic fluid that is still used in all commercial aircraft. In the later years of his career he consulted widely about lubricants and hydraulics, including for the Apollo Space Program. Doug's lifelong ambition was to build his own airport. He accomplished this over many weekends spent here in Wickenburg developing Moreton Airpark. He and Elinor retired to Wickenburg in 1967 where he stayed busy enlarging and maintaining the airport. These are the facts, but they don't begin to describe Doug. Most people have one of two images of Doug: up to his elbows in an engine or squatting on the ground, cigar in hand, delivering a long speech to whomever was listening. It seemed that he could build or repair anything. He built or rebuilt house, car, airplane, hangar, motors, plumbing system, runway or fishing raft with the same ease. In his later years, he was happiest on his tractor, maintaining the roads and runways, or talking to his fellow pilots and neighbors here in Wickenburg. The breadth and depth of his knowledge and his willingness to share it with anyone will be sorely missing from the world. Of all of his accomplishments, Doug would always say that he was proudest of his 60-year marriage to Elinor, his three children, son Bruce, daughters Marilyn and Cindy, and five grandchildren, Robert, Matthew, Elizabeth, Elena and Eric. A family memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 27 at the home. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the annual fund at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute care of Lynn Howard, Hedley Bldg, RPE, 110 6th St. Troy NY 12180 or the Wickenburg Community Hospital. |
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