Harold William “Bill” Hallisey went to be with his Lord at 10:40am on Sunday, December 6, at the age of 86. He died peacefully at Crestwood Medical Center in Huntsville, Alabama, surrounded by his wife, children and grandchildren.
Bill was born at Wentworth Hospital in Dover, New Hampshire, to Harold and Helene Hallisey. He graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 1956 with a degree in mechanical engineering. After graduation, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Army and stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas, before being discharged as a Captain in the Army Reserves.
Relocating to Huntsville, Alabama, in 1958, he worked on ballistic missile systems with Chrysler and the Army Ballistic Missile Agency. He met and married his wife of 61 years, Marion Patricia “Robbie” Hallisey on May 9, 1959 at Church of the Visitation in Huntsville.
Bill joined NASA at Marshall Space Flight Center in 1961, where he spent the rest of his career. He was on the engineering team for the Saturn V rocket, which took the Apollo astronauts to the moon; his name is attached to the lunar lander that is still on the surface of the moon. Later, he became the Project Manager on the external tank for the Space Shuttle program and was Deputy Director in the Air Force Space Division in Los Angeles. He went on to become the Chief Financial Officer/Comptroller for Marshall Space Flight Center and earned the NASA Exceptional Service Medal before retiring in 1996. Post-retirement, he was a docent at the Alabama Space & Rocket Center.
Following retirement from NASA, Bill went on to consult with corporations and universities and served as president of the board at Hospice Family Care. He was instrumental in establishing Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Huntsville, along with co-chairing the Building Committee at Holy Spirit Catholic Church following its destruction by the 1989 tornado. A long-time member and usher at Holy Spirit, he was a member of the Knights of Columbus. He also was a member of the Huntsville Rotary Club, President of the NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center Retirees Association, President of his condominium homeowner’s association in Orange Beach, Alabama, and President of the Piedmont Recreation Association.
He especially enjoyed spending time with friends, watching the Crimson Tide and the Braves, and traveling the world with his wife. He supported the local arts and numerous charities in the community and was President of Theatre Huntsville and a member of the Broadway Theatre League, the Huntsville Botanical Gardens, and the Huntsville Museum of Art.
Bill was a loving son, husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. Working together, Bill and Robbie raised three children, Timothy James Hallisey (Rosanne), Robert Patrick Hallisey (Cissy) and Pamela Hallisey Hiss (Steven). He is also survived by his grandchildren, Whitney Michele Springer (Zach), Winton Mitchell Hallisey (Mary Kate), Emily Marie Hallisey, Clayton Ray Bodley, Weston Lee Bodley, Hillary Jean Hiss and Mallory June Hiss; as well as his great-granddaughter Harleigh Grace Springer. Preceded in death by his parents, Harold James Hallisey and Helene Josephine Hallisey; his brothers, Donald Hallisey and Robert Hallisey; and sister, Virginia Hallisey.
Bill’s funeral and celebration of life will be held at Holy Spirit Catholic Church on December 9 at 11:00am, with visitation 1 hour before.
In lieu of flowers, please send memorial donations to the Huntsville Museum of Art, Holy Spirit Church Chapel Building Fund, or the charity of your choice.
