William “Larry” Breazeale, 90, of Huntsville, passed away on October 8, 2026. He was born in Louisville, MS, on November 24, 1935, and graduated from Treadwell High School, Memphis, TN, in 1953. On September 1, 1955, in Memphis, TN, he married Charlene Teresa Beard, and they were married for 71 years.
He was the first in his family to attend college, receiving the academic Firestone scholarship to the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, TN, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Engineering Physics in 1957. He began his career in the aerospace and defense industry, living in Los Angeles, CA; Oak Ridge, TN; Marietta, GA, and Huntsville, AL, before working at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville from 1966 until his retirement in 1998. While living in Marietta, GA, he completed his master’s degree in Physics from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1964. Some projects he worked on at NASA included the Apollo Applications Program, the Manned Lunar Exploration Program, and the Space Lab.
He was a long-time member of Trinity United Methodist Church, participating in and leading Sunday School classes, participating in the Men’s Prayer breakfast, and coordinating the Meals on Wheels volunteers for Trinity teams for many years.
He was preceded in death by his father and mother, W. H. Breazeale and Mildred Bell Breazeale; his sister, Joyce Breazeale Fentress; his nephew, Michael Rutland; and his great-granddaughter,
McCune Anne Breazeale.
Survivors include his wife, Charlene Beard Breazeale; daughters, Dr. Karen Breazeale Fowler (Dr. Charles), Terri Breazeale Luther (Dr. Dan), and son, William Keith Breazeale (Sheila); grandchildren, Julie Breazeale Darr (Dr. Ryan), Dr. Dan Breazeale (Emily), Josh Breazeale (Meredith), Michelle Luther, and Michael Luther; great-grandchildren, Caleb, Collin, Harris, and Heidi Darr, James, Luke, and Eli Breazeale; and several nieces and nephews.
A celebration of his life will be held on Friday, October 16, 2026, at Laughlin Service Funeral Home chapel, with visitation starting at 1:00 pm, followed by the service at 2:00 pm.
In lieu of flowers, memorials in Larry’s honor may be made to Huntsville Meals on Wheels (https:// seniorview.com/services/meals-on-wheels/) or the Space Exploration Wall of Honor at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center (https://www.marshallretirees.org/space-exploration-memorial/).
The family would like to thank the nurses, caregivers, and staff at Willowbrooke Court at Magnolia Trace for their compassionate care.
