John Peacock Crisler, Sr., 79, passed away on July 4, 2018. He died peacefully at Huntsville Hospital surrounded by his family. John was born on August 8, 1938 in New Madrid, Missouri to the late Herman Andrew and Jessamine Peacock Crisler. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Tennessee in 1961. John was recruited by NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center upon his graduation. In 1964, he married Marilyn Monks. They built their home in Lincoln County, Tennessee and raised two children.
John worked for NASA for 37 years. During that time, he worked on the Lunar Rover Vehicle, the Hubble Space Telescope, and the Chandra X-Ray Observatory Satellite among many other projects. While at NASA, John received numerous awards including a Manned Flight Awareness Honoree Award, NASA Exceptional Service Award, and several Group Achievement Awards. He retired from NASA in 1998.
John loved being a grandfather. He was a fun, loving, enthusiastic, and supportive granddad to Jace Crisler of Huntsville, AL and Nico & Nadine de Vries of Haarlem, The Netherlands.
Passionate about sports, John played baseball and softball all his life. Most recently, he was an active member in Huntsville’s Senior Softball League. As a season ticket holder, John was an avid fan of the University of Tennessee’s basketball program and rarely missed a home game. John loved music and had a beautiful tenor voice. He was a dedicated member of the choir at First Presbyterian Church in Huntsville.
He is survived by his wife, Marilyn Monks Crisler, whom he called his best friend. They were married for 54 years. He is also survived by his son, John P. Crisler, Jr. (wife, Anne Shouse Crisler) and his daughter, Cara M. Crisler (husband, Danny de Vries). Other survivors: John’s brother, Dr. Herman Andrew Crisler, M.D. of Memphis, TN and his family; John’s sister-in-law, Melissa Monks of Hazel Green, AL; and numerous cousins and relatives in New Madrid, Missouri.
The family will have a private memorial gathering on July 28, 2018. The family would appreciate in lieu of flowers or other gifts that donations be made in John’s name to the American Heart Association, PO Box 840692, Dallas, TX 75284-0692.
We love you, John/Dad/Granddad, and we will miss you.
