Difference between revisions of "Norman John Fillman"
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[[Norman John Fillman]] was born Nov. 23, 1920 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada to Norman Clifford Fillman and his wife Margaret Duff Fillman. His mother took him to China as an infant to live with his grandparents, Mr. & Mrs. John L. Duff who had gone there in the early 1890's as PB workers. After his grandfather contracted malaria, they moved to mountainous Kuling, which is where Norman made a profession of faith, strongly influenced by the godly example of his grandfather. He completed high school in Shanghai, and after working a few months he sailed for Canada to attend the University of British Columbia, graduating as an electrical engineer in 1944. | [[Norman John Fillman]] was born Nov. 23, 1920 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada to Norman Clifford Fillman and his wife Margaret Duff Fillman. His mother took him to China as an infant to live with his grandparents, Mr. & Mrs. John L. Duff who had gone there in the early 1890's as PB workers. After his grandfather contracted malaria, they moved to mountainous Kuling, which is where Norman made a profession of faith, strongly influenced by the godly example of his grandfather. He completed high school in Shanghai, and after working a few months he sailed for Canada to attend the University of British Columbia, graduating as an electrical engineer in 1944. | ||
| − | He worked in Canada as a junior engineer in radio receiver design until 1949. During that time he also acquired a master's degree in communication engineering from [[McGill University]] in Montreal, graduating in 1946. In 1949, he moved to Los Angeles where he worked 31 years for Hughes Aircraft, first in their guided missile division, and later in space and communication division, retiring in 1986. He was part of the team that developed SYNCOM, the experimental satellite that demonstrated that a communication satellite could be placed in synchronous orbit with the earth, of which the same concept is presently used by TV, weather and telephones. | + | He worked in Canada as a junior engineer in radio receiver design until 1949. During that time he also acquired a master's degree in communication engineering from '''[[McGill University]]''' in Montreal, graduating in 1946. In 1949, he moved to Los Angeles where he worked 31 years for Hughes Aircraft, first in their guided missile division, and later in space and communication division, retiring in 1986. He was part of the team that developed SYNCOM, the experimental satellite that demonstrated that a communication satellite could be placed in synchronous orbit with the earth, of which the same concept is presently used by TV, weather and telephones. |
"After retirement, Norm did a considerable amount of travel, including trips to Macao and China, where he enjoyed reunions with students at two American schools from his China days, and a meeting with a group known as Old China Hands, who were mostly from Shanghai. He also went on short term mission trips to Grenada and the Bahamas sponsored by Every Home for Christ. For several years Norm spent four days a week as a volunteer in the learning center at the Union Rescue Mission in downtown Los Angeles. There he compassionately assisted disadvantaged men in recovery programs, in obtaining their GED certificates. He stayed in good physical shape by square dancing and playing golf and tennis, and died Feb. 1, 2010. | "After retirement, Norm did a considerable amount of travel, including trips to Macao and China, where he enjoyed reunions with students at two American schools from his China days, and a meeting with a group known as Old China Hands, who were mostly from Shanghai. He also went on short term mission trips to Grenada and the Bahamas sponsored by Every Home for Christ. For several years Norm spent four days a week as a volunteer in the learning center at the Union Rescue Mission in downtown Los Angeles. There he compassionately assisted disadvantaged men in recovery programs, in obtaining their GED certificates. He stayed in good physical shape by square dancing and playing golf and tennis, and died Feb. 1, 2010. | ||
Latest revision as of 03:49, 10 December 2019
Norman John Fillman was born Nov. 23, 1920 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada to Norman Clifford Fillman and his wife Margaret Duff Fillman. His mother took him to China as an infant to live with his grandparents, Mr. & Mrs. John L. Duff who had gone there in the early 1890's as PB workers. After his grandfather contracted malaria, they moved to mountainous Kuling, which is where Norman made a profession of faith, strongly influenced by the godly example of his grandfather. He completed high school in Shanghai, and after working a few months he sailed for Canada to attend the University of British Columbia, graduating as an electrical engineer in 1944.
He worked in Canada as a junior engineer in radio receiver design until 1949. During that time he also acquired a master's degree in communication engineering from McGill University in Montreal, graduating in 1946. In 1949, he moved to Los Angeles where he worked 31 years for Hughes Aircraft, first in their guided missile division, and later in space and communication division, retiring in 1986. He was part of the team that developed SYNCOM, the experimental satellite that demonstrated that a communication satellite could be placed in synchronous orbit with the earth, of which the same concept is presently used by TV, weather and telephones.
"After retirement, Norm did a considerable amount of travel, including trips to Macao and China, where he enjoyed reunions with students at two American schools from his China days, and a meeting with a group known as Old China Hands, who were mostly from Shanghai. He also went on short term mission trips to Grenada and the Bahamas sponsored by Every Home for Christ. For several years Norm spent four days a week as a volunteer in the learning center at the Union Rescue Mission in downtown Los Angeles. There he compassionately assisted disadvantaged men in recovery programs, in obtaining their GED certificates. He stayed in good physical shape by square dancing and playing golf and tennis, and died Feb. 1, 2010.
He was preceded in death by his parents, older sister, Grace, older brother, James, and Sally, his wife of 17 years. He is survived by his half-sister, Elizabeth (Betty) Wallace, of Peterborough, Ontario; three step-daughters, Terry Guthrie, Joyce Forbes and Brooke Britigan, and seven grandchildren, Hank, Molly, Shelley, Carrie, Jimmie, Jesse and Christian and five great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Union Rescue Mission, 545 South San Pedro Street, Los Angeles, CA 90053, designated for the Mens Christian Life Program Book Fund."
