LOOGOOTEE — Charles Thomas Force, 72, Loogootee and Cocoa Beach, Fla., died at 10 p.m. Thursday at Daviess Community Hospital, Washington.

He was born on Feb. 22, 1935, in Daviess County Hospital in Washington, to the late John and Margaret Force.

He married Marilyn Wininger on June 10, 1956, and she survives.

Mr. Force retired in 1996 as the associate administrator for Space Operations of NASA. He worked for two years in the private sector as president of Vtex International, Inc., a government contractor instrumental in work with Boeing, Globalstar as well as agencies such as the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

In his 29-year career with NASA he was instrumental in the management and development of several programs which made the United States the global leader in Space Exploration Development, including landing a man on the moon and the development of the current Shuttle Program.

He began this illustrious career as director of the NASA Apollo Station on Guam in 1965, which was crucial in the Apollo program as a communication link in the moon missions. In 1972, he became director of NASA’s STDN Station in Quito, Ecuador. In 1974, he and his family returned to the United States where he became the deputy project manager of the Data Relay Satellite Program, a communication system crucial for the current Shuttle Program to maintain continuous communication with our astronauts.

In 1975, he stepped up to Associate Chief of the Network Operations Division at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., and in 1978 became the Chief of the Network Operations Division there. After a brief two-year hiatus in private industry as the deputy program manager of a private company, Computer Sciences Corporation, he returned to NASA in 1982 to become the manager of the Deep Space Network Program, working at NASA’s National Headquarters in downtown Washington D.C. In 1984, he was promoted to director, Ground Networks Division, and then in 1986 to deputy associate administrator for Space Operations. Finally, in 1989, and until his retirement from NASA in 1996, he was the Associate Administrator Space Operations, the number six position at NASA. These duties included working with the Vice President of the United States on NASA budgeting, testifying before the U.S. Congress, development of the current Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System, as well as representing NASA in international radio regulatory processes.

Throughout his long career and tremendous contributions to the U.S. Space Program, Mr. Force has been recognized for excellence and integrity and has received numerous awards, medals and recognitions not only from the U.S., but also from other countries such as the former Soviet Union. He received the Presidential Rank of Distinguished Executives, recognized as the top 1 percent of Senior Executive Service. This award was presented to Mr. Force by the President of the United States, George H. Bush.

Mr. Force graduated from Shoals High School in 1953. In 1957 he graduated cum laude, from Purdue University with a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering, where he belonged to the Engineering Honor Society. As a child he was dedicated to and was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star. He was a Mason for more than 50 years.

In retirement he was asked and participated in The National Academies (Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine) review of NASA’s performance in Space Communications, for which he received an award including a U.S. flag that was flown aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. He was also an active member in retirement of IAF (International Aeronautics Federation) of which he participated annually (including lecturing contributions) in such locations as Beijing, China and the Soviet Republics.

Other survivors include four sons, Carlos Force, his wife, Sharon, and their two sons, Chris and Matt of Kentucky; Greg Force and his two children, Abby and Barron of South Carolina; and Jeff Force, his wife Donna, and two children, Aaron and Lauren, of Colorado; Tim Force, his wife Dawn, and two daughters, Sierra and Britney of Wyoming; one daughter, Dr. Michelle Force and her husband, Dr. Jesse Suter of Vermont; eight grandchildren; and two brothers, Bob Force of Shoals and Jim Force of New Mexico.

Visitation will be from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. today at Queen-Lee Funeral Home, Shoals. White River Masonic Lodge No. 332 will conduct a Masonic Memorial Service at 7 p.m. today at the funeral home.

A service will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Shoals United Methodist Church, with a viewing at the church before the service from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and burial immediately following at the Pleasant Valley Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to the United Methodist Church and-or The American Cancer Society in Mr. Force’s name.

(Aug. 9, 2007)