R. Wayne Stockdale, 85, formerly of Cornelius, N.C., died Sept. 3, 2016, in Evergreen Place, Manchester.
Born in Rockford, Ill., on March 23, 1931, he was the only child of Bruce and Mary Marcella (Vosberg) Stockdale.
He grew up in Rockford, Ill., and attained the level of Eagle Scout with the Boy Scouts of America. He served his country as a member of the U.S Air Force, where he discovered his love for photography.
He would often have a camera on his many hiking and hunting trips through the mountains. He was employed as an engineer at IBM for 30 years and was one of the original engineers to work on bar code scanners and the technology used to shrink circuit boards. He also had a part in projects from Apollo 2 up until the Shuttle Program. As part of the Moon Lander project, his name can be found on an engraved plaque left on the moon.
During his time in North Carolina, he was a member of St. Therese Church. He enjoyed writing and was an avid storyteller. He was known for his bad jokes that tended to end with a groan.
He is survived by six children, Linda (Rich) Nestor, Kim (Peter) Jones, Randy Wishinsky, Bruce Stockdale, Terry (Sandy) Stockdale and Renee (Mike) Decker; 10 grandchildren; and one great-granddaughter. In lieu of flowers, due to family allergies, donations can be made in his name to Daniel Webster Council of the Boy Scouts of America, Manchester. A family-only service was held at St. Mark’s in New Hampshire on Sept. 7. A public service is scheduled for Oct. 28 at St. Therese in Mooresville, N.C. Mass will be held at 11 a.m., followed by a luncheon. The Peabody Funeral Home & Crematorium is assisting the family with arrangements. To send a condolence or for more information, visit, www.peabodyfuneralhome.com.