Samuel M. Hazelrig Jr., 86, died Sunday, Aug. 6, 2017. A celebration of life will be held Sunday, Aug. 20, 2017, at 3 p.m. at the Space and Rocket Center, 1 Tranquility Base, I565 Highway. He was a former aeronautical engineer, U.S. Civil Service employee at Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville, Alabama, 1957-1977. From 1987 through 1998 he had a partnership with John Stallworth in Madison Research Corporation (MRC) which employed more than 650 people. He moved to Huntsville at the beginning of the booming rocket space industry with a one year assignment to Kwajalein, Marshall Islands. From 1950-1953 he served in the U.S. Air Force trained as a jet fighter pilot at Kingston Air Force Base, North Carolina. After his graduation from Gadsden High School, he attended college at Auburn University. He was born Oct. 24, 1930, in Tarrant City, Alabama to Samuel M. Hazelrig Sr. and Mary Morrow Hewitt Hazelrig.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Georgia Murlene Laster Hazelrig, who was the mother of his first five children, Karen Cove Lacy Desgranges (deceased), Kristi Dawn Bashaw Smith (Dave), April Keli Dysart, Kerri Michele Martin, and Samuel M. “Sammy” Hazelrig III (deceased). His second wife is Julia Anne McIntyre Hazelrig, the mother of his son, Darrell Caine Hazelrig. There are 11 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Condolences may be sent to the family at 2415 Halifax Place SW, Decatur, AL 35601-7338. Gifts of flowers are not necessary.
His cremains will be placed in Maple Hill Cemetery, Huntsville, Alabama, at a later date.
