Death of an Aerospace Leader

As you have probably heard, former McDonnell Douglas Corp. Chairman and CEO Sanford “Sandy” McDonnell passed away on Monday. He was 89.

There's a nice obit in Wednesday's New York Times, which notes that McDonnell in the 1980s "modernized management systems, remade the corporate culture and sharply increased earnings."

In the wake of McDonnell's passing, Boeing Co. dug up an interesting article from 2010 that talked about McDonnell's experience as a U.S. Army soldier during World War II and the pride he felt for his grandson, an Air Force captain.

"Sandy’s commitment to his colleagues and customers, his country and his community during his 40-year career and throughout his lifetime, was extraordinary,” Boeing CEO Jim McNerney said in a news release.

Our condolences go out to McDonnell's family. He certainly will be missed by many.