Noel Dean Gravelle

COMMISSIONING of 1000LPM PSA OXYGEN PLANT SUPPLIED BY BHARTIYA CRYOGAS AT MUMBAI

29

Nov

COMMISSIONING of 1000LPM PSA OXYGEN PLANT SUPPLIED BY BHARTIYA CRYOGAS AT MUMBAI

PRAKSHI RAWAT

Noel Dean Gravelle died quietly at the home of his son Warren and daughter-in-law Julie on October 27, 2021, just 20 days after his beloved wife Ellene Louise Gravelle died. Noel was 87 years old when he died.Noel Gravelle was born on January 21, 1934, in Willows, California, to his mother Etta Mildred Gravelle and father Mesac Albert Gravelle.

Although Noel's parents worked as farm laborers, he had to have an early education in farm operations. He lived his high school and college decades living and working with his cousin Richard Des Jardins, the operator of a huge rice and cotton farm in San Joaquin Valley. Noel's primary obligation was to assist with the maintenance of various farm implements. Noel acquired knowledge in mechanical and machinery operation, and how to work with metal to use an acetylene torch and arc welders, through this work without having any knowledge of acetylene plants production unit. He also was educated how to run different tractors, thrashers, trucks, and other pieces of machinery.

In June 1952, Noel graduated from Dos Palos High School. Noel's farming experience helped him to abandon farming and obtain a degree in electrical engineering at what is now San Jose State College, where he completed in June 1957 with a BS in Electrical Engineering. Noel was a member of the Air Force ROTC programme and was appointed as a Second Lieutenant in the Air Force reserves at the very same time. Noel met the love of his life, Ellene Louise Bakenhus, at a sorority-fraternity social function while in college. They married in June 1957 and moved to Stockton, California, where Noel worked as a graduate trainee for Pacific Gas and Electric while expecting to be ordered to active duty by the Air Force.

After enlisting in the military, Noel came to work for the Naval Ordnance Laboratory in Corona, California (NOLC). Noel worked on a lot of proximity fuze systems while at NOLC, but his key emphasis was on the fuze for the TALOS surface-to-air guided missile, which is deployed on a few of the Navy's guided missile ships. Noel was a co-author on two patents for proximity fuze system designs which were classified. Noel and Ellene welcomed two other children, Warren and Shelley, throughout that time.

When most of the work at NOLC was transferred to the Naval Weapons Center in China Lake in 1970-71, Noel and his parents moved to China Lake and later Ridgecrest. Noel was promoted from Project Engineer to Branch Head, and was responsible for supervising Lockheed development of proximity fuze components for the Sidewinder, Shrike, Standard Arm, and HARM air-to-air missiles. Later, he was already in charge of a branch that had been working on a second fuze mechanism for the Sparrow Missile's air and sea launch versions. Noel went on to become the Associate Division Head for two divisions, and also the project manager for the Basic Missile Ordnance Components. After retiring from the government in 1994, he worked as a consultant for a further two years.

Noel was involved in a wide range of activities through his employment and retirement, including supporting his children's participation in Boy Scouts and youth baseball, as well as hobbies such as HAM radio and subsequently fiddling with his home computer. He and his wife Ellene liked four-wheel drive excursions with the Gear Grinders, camping and motorhome trips, travel, and bird-watching.

Noel is survived by his sons Brian (Carol) and Warren (Julie), his daughter Shelley (Steve) (Piazza), and his eight grandchildren Kristen, Corey, Evan, Rory, Kayla, Tessa, Dante, and Vince, but also his daughter Shelley (Steve) (Piazza). Noel, Ellene's husband, died 20 days after Ellene.

On Saturday, January 29, 2022, at 1:30 p.m. A memorial service for Noel and Ellene will indeed be held at the Maturango Museum. COVID protocols from the relevant period will indeed be followed.