Paul R. Drouilhet, Jr

DROUILHET, Paul R., Jr. After a brief illness, Paul R. Drouilhet, Jr. of Bedford, Massachusetts died peacefully at Lahey Hospital in Burlington, MA on January 12, 2018. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Betty B. Drouilhet, his half-sister Nina Thomson of Austin, TX, his three children - Ann Drouilhet of Wayland, MA, married to James Ogletree, Stephen Drouilhet of Boulder, CO, and Susan Drouilhet of Fayetteville, AR - as well as three grandchildren - Andrew Ogletree married to Jessica Wilkie, Elyse Ogletree and Christopher Ogletree, all of Chicago, IL. He graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy in 1950 and subsequently attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he received the BS (1954) and MS (1955) degrees in Electrical Engineering and the EE degree in February 1957. From 1957 to 1959, he was on active duty in the U.S. Air Force, where he participated in the development and test of long-range, air-ground communications techniques. In 1959, he joined MIT Lincoln Laboratory as a member of the technical staff. From 1959 to 1970, he was active in the development of communication techniques for passive and active satellite systems, and for very-low-frequency radio channels. In 1970, he helped establish a program in the development of air traffic control technology for the FAA, and was appointed Group Leader of the newly formed Air Traffic Control Group. He led the development of two major new surveillance systems for the FAA: the Discrete Address Beacon System, now known as Mode S, and the Moving Target Detector Doppler radar processing system, which became the basis for the ASR-9. In 1972, he was appointed Associate Division Head of the Air Traffic Control Division. Under his leadership, the Air Traffic Control program expanded to include the development of an airborne traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS), and techniques for the use of radar to detect and identify severe weather phenomena, including microbursts, which led to the TDWR. Paul retired from MIT's Lincoln Laboratory as an Associate Director Emeritus in 1996. For his contributions to air traffic control systems, Paul was elected a Fellow of the IEEE in 1986. He received the FAA Associate Administrator Award in 1993, the 1994 Air Traffic Control Association Walter A. Partenau Award for Outstanding Achievement in Air Traffic Control, and the 1996 Discover Award for Technical Innovation (Aviation and Aerospace category) for the development of the GPS Squitter concept. In addition to his many professional accomplishments, Paul was an avid tennis player and pilot of his own single engine Bonanza aircraft. A lover of classical music, opera and live theater, he was a patron of the arts, including serving as a member of the Merrimack Repertory Theater Board of Directors. He read extensively and had a passion for travel, sharing his love for interesting culture and places with every member of his family. Fulfilling his desire to serve his fellow man throughout his life, Paul spent many hours in retirement volunteering for various organizations, including: Angel Flight - flying patients in need of transportation to distant medical care; AARP as a tax preparer for seniors at Cary Memorial Library in Lexington; and in the last several years, at Carleton-Willard Village in Bedford where he was very actively involved in creating community and helping his fellow residents. He joined the theater "Thespians" group, including running the audiovisual setup for their programs, became the go-to guy for anyone with computer issues, organized field trips and themed dinners, advocated for renewable energy upgrades, etc. He was a much loved and revered member of his community. A caring husband, father, and grandfather, Paul's integrity, curiosity, compassion and generosity were alive until the very end. "The world is a better place because of Paul/Dad/Grandpa." He will truly be missed. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Angel Flight or Compassion and Choices, two organizations that were very important to Paul. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 10:30 AM on Saturday, February 24, 2018 at First Parish Church, Bedford, MA, 75 Great Road, Bedford, MA 01730.