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<p>Reginald I. Vachon, ASME Past President (2003-2004), former
member of the Board of Governors, and an Honorary Member of the
Society, died on December 24, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. He was 83
years old.<br>
<br>
Dr. Vachon, an ASME Fellow, was an active, dedicated, and beloved
member of the Society for more than half a century, having served
in leadership roles on numerous councils and committees. He was a
recipient of the ASME Dedicated Service Award, and in 2019 was
bestowed the ASME Medal, the Society’s highest award for eminently
distinguished engineering achievement.</p>
<p>
His career as an engineer, executive, and lawyer spanning more
than six decades exemplified his passion and enthusiasm for the
profession of engineering. Among his many affiliations, Reggie, as
he was affectionately known, served as chairman of Vachon Global,
an Atlanta-based multidisciplinary company serving, industry,
government, and business. He also held positions as an R&D
engineer with E.I. DuPont, an aerospace engineer with<b> Thiokol </b>and
NASA, and design engineer for Hayes Aircraft. <br>
<br>
Dr. Vachon was a registered Professional Engineer in six states
and a licensed European Engineer. He was a licensed U.S. Coast
Guard captain and active in the U.S. Army Reserve for over 30
years retiring with the rank of Colonel. He conducted research and
development projects on behalf of the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy,
NASA, the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, the U.S. Energy Research and Development
Administration, the National Science Foundation, and other
agencies. He served on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Science and Technology Advisory Committee, and as resident
engineer and constructor for the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
He was a licensed attorney and a member of the bar of the U.S.
Supreme Court. <br>
<br>
Among his many international associations he served as president
of the Pan American Academy of Engineering, vice president for the
Pan American Union of Engineering Organizations (UPADI), and as a
board member and vice president of the World Federation of
Engineering Organizations (WFEO).<br>
<br>
Dr. Vachon held the position of endowed chair Professor of
Mechanical Engineering at Auburn University and was an adjunct
professor at Purdue University. He earned his B.S. in Mechanical
Engineering and M.S. in Nuclear Science while attending the U.S.
Naval Academy and <b>Auburn University</b> and received his Ph.D.
in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering from Oklahoma State
University. He earned his law degree (LL.B.) from Thomas Goode
Jones School of Law in Alabama. He was a graduate of the U.S. Army
War College, the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and
the United States National Defense University.<br>
<br>
<em>“Any success that I’ve ever had has always been because of
other people…I think that the greatest impact that I’ve had, if
any, has been to encourage people to think and to reach beyond
their perceived limits, because thinking leads to innovation;
innovation leads to contributions to humanity and the
environment.” (Reggie Vachon, Nov.11, 2019) </em><br>
<br>
Dr. Vachon is survived by his beloved wife of 60 years, Mary
Eleanor, their two children, and two grandchildren.<br>
<br>
The Vachon Family has requested that donations can be made to the
ASME Foundation in Reggie’s honor via <a
href="https://www.asmefoundation.org/donate/" target="_blank"
data-feathr-click-track="true">this link</a>, by indicating “in
memory of Reggie Vachon” on the <i>Designation</i> line. <br>
</p>
<p>===============================================</p>
<p>RIP, Reggie!!! Reggie was an Auburn ME classmate of mine who I
reconnected with as fellow regional officers of ASME (American
Association of Mechanical Engineers) in the '78-80 era. I did not
recall a mention of his time with Thiokol; but, there it is in his
obit among his many fine accomplishments. Can anyone fill me in on
when and where he worked for Thiokol?<br>
</p>
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