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Subject: OBIT: JAGIELLO, LEONARD T. (LEE)
Date: 4 Sep 2004 13:56:38 -0600

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Daily Independent newspaper Ridgecrest CA Kern County
August 19, 2004

LEONARD T. (LEE) JAGIELLO 1918-2004

Leonard T. (Lee) Jagiello passed away Aug. 4, 2004 in Monterey. He was 86.
Mr. Jagiello was born in Chicago, Ill. on Jan. 23, 1918. He was raised in Chicago, Ill and later graduated from Lane Technical High School. He subsequently earned a bachelor of science degree in aeronautical engineering from the University of Michigan and a master of science degree in aeronautics and astronautics from Masschusetts Institute of Technology.
He moved from St. Louis, Mo. to the United States Naval Ordinance (sic) Test Station, China Lake in 1946 where he resided until 1964.
He founded and led the Aeromechanics Division of the Weapons Development Department. He was instrumental in the development of numerous missile systems, related weaponry and satellite programs, including Sidewinder and Strike (sic).
In 1961, he received the L.T.E. Thompson Award for outstanding contriubtions in the aerodynamic design of the Sidewinder air-to-air missile.
He relocated to the Ames Research Center in offett Field, San Francisco in 1964 to work on the Pioneer solar Probe for National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Mr. Jagiello retired from engineering in 1969 and moved to the Monterey Peninsula. He was an avid pilot who owned several airplanes and accrued over 3,000 hours of flying time of the span of more than three decades.
His former wife, Carolyn, and son Roman, preceded him in death. He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law Ann and Tom Woolan, grandchildren Kristina Wollan, Eric and his wife Joy Wollan, and great-grandchildren Jack and Kate Wollan.

News Review newspaper Ridgecrest CA August 11, 2004

LEE JAGIELLO

As the News Review went to press, we learned of the death of pioneering aerodynamicist Lee Jagiello Friday, Aug. 6, in Monterey, Calif.
A member of the early Sidewinder team, Jagiello accomplished by himself work that needed a host of people on Falcon, a competing Air Force missile program. Sidewinder inventory Dr. bill McLean was among those who cited Jagiello's design for the Sidewinder fins as one of the missile's crucial design concepts. He was also one of the first engineers to come up with the concept of how the Shrike missle should fly.
More information on Jagiello's life and accomplishment will appear in next week's newspaper.

News Review August 18, 2004

LEONARD T. "LEE" JAGIELLO

Pioneering China Lake aerodynamicist Leonard T. "Lee" Jagiello died in Monterey, Calif., Aug. 4, 2004. He was 86.

China Lake alumni remember Jagiello as exemplifying the mavericks of the Naval Ordnance Test Station - highly creative iconoclasts who let nothing stand in the way of getting the job done.
"To include my father as a 'maverick' is probably an understatement," said his daughter, Ann Woolan (sic) who grew up in China Lake.
Jagiello was one of a handful of early Sidewinder workers acknowledged by Dr. William B. McLean, the missile's inventor, as having contributed concepts crucial to Siderwinder's success.
As the project's first aerodynamicist, Jagiello began work on what was then known as the "heat seeking rocket" in a way fairly typical for the times.
He had started work in the Ballistics Division at NOTS in 1946 but after Sidewinder team members discovered that he was the man with the best explanations for aerodynamic problems, they convinced him to focus on their new missile.
Sidewinder pioneer Dr. Howard A. Wilcox later described Jagiello as "a very practical man, a man whould could pull the truth out of data that were scatted all over the map."
Later Jagiello also made significant contributions to the Shrike missile. "Lee was one of the first aero engineers who conceived how the Shrike missile should fly," said Frank St. George, who is coordinating a Shrike exhibit to open at the U.S. Naval Museum of armament and Technology during the 50th anniversary Shrike commemoration to occur this Oct. 14-15.
Recalling that Jagiello and Leroy Riggs (who died this March) once had a party featuring a water "slip and slide" on their lawn in front of their China Lake duplex, St. George added, "These guys knew how to work and they knew who to party."
And when Jagiello worked, he really concentrated. A famous story abouthim was that when he went to work his wife would pin a note on his shirt - "Do not give Lee a ride. His car is in the parking lot."
Jagiello grew up in Chicago where he graduated from Technical High School. He earned his bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering from the University of Michigan and his master's in aeronautics and astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
He came here from St. Louis in 1946 and made his career at China Lake for the next 19 years, years that he later said "were a lot more interesting then (sic) I could have spent anywhere else...I just liked the challenges here. I was doing interesting, broad-based work, new work...I wouldn't trade the 19 years at NOTS for anything else."
During those years Jagiello created and led the Aeromechanics Division of the Weapons Development Department, as well as working on numerous weapons systems.
In 1961 he receive the L.T.E. Thompson Award, the station's highest, for oustanding contributions to Sidewinder aerodynamic design.
Jagiello left China Lake in 1964 to work on the Pioneer solar probe for NASA at the Ames Research Center, Moffett Field. In 1969 he retired from engineering and moved to the Monterey Peninsula.
He was an avid private pilot who accrued more than 3,000 hours of flying time while owning several airplanes over more than three decades.
He is survived by his daughter Ann and husband Tom Wollan, grandchildren Eric Wollan (Joy) and Kristina Wollan and great-grandchildren Jack and Kate Wollan. He was preceded in death by his former wife Caroline and son Roman. Interment was in the San Carlos Cemetery in Monterey.

Note differences in name spellings between the two newspapers.

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