John “Jack” T. Shillingford, Jr., beloved husband, father, and grandfather, died peacefully in his sleep on September 17, 2024, after a brief illness. He was 92.

A pioneer of NASA's early space exploration efforts, a distinguished naval engineer, a skilled golfer, a world traveler, and a renowned tinkerer, he was endlessly curious about the world. This curiosity led him from the countryside of Pennsylvania, where he grew up with his mother, father, and younger sister Elizabeth, to Mercersburg Academy, and on to Yale University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering. After graduation, Jack joined his father as a Naval Officer. He served in the Korean War, spending most of his deployment on nuclear submarines. Jack was humble about his status as a veteran, often highlighting that he never saw combat. Upon completing his four years of service in the Navy, he went to work for GE, where he met several colleagues who would become lifelong friends.

Jack was called to serve his country again in the early sixties when he joined NASA and was part of the pioneering teams working on the Apollo missions that led to humanity's first steps on the moon. One of his famous stories was how he shared a locker with Neil Armstrong and played squash with countless other astronauts. Eventually, he settled in Boston, working for MIT's Draper Lab. Here, he continued his engineering work and, with his team at Draper, developed navigation and guidance systems used in military, aerospace, and oceanographic applications, several of which were patented.

Inspired as a boy by the pictures from his grandfather's 1930 National Geographics, Jack loved to explore the world, traveling extensively and usually off the beaten path. Whether it was a quick clandestine trip to Cuba with friends, driving from Boston to Panama with his great friend of chaos and fun, Leo Gilson, or hitchhiking from Kenya to South Africa, Jack was always eager to explore. Later in life, he regaled friends and family with his outlandish stories of adventure. In 1977, after several years of courtship, Jack married Corinna Prentiss Shillingford. They settled in Milton, MA, and welcomed their first child, Amelia, in December of 1980, and their second, Harry, in May of 1983. Jack was a devoted father who loved to share his passion for adventure and the natural world with his family. He spent many hours golfing at the Hoosic Club, where he was a longtime member, renowned for his straw hat and sense of humor.

In 2010, Jack lost his wife, Prentiss, to cancer. In his final years, Jack led a quieter life in Milton, tinkering on endless home projects, working in his garden, waging war against the deer, and enjoying time with companion Christine Clarke. His final months were spent at home, reminiscing with friends and family, surrounded by the countryside he had spent years cultivating. "I'm a country boy at heart," he would always say.

Jack is survived by his daughter Amelia, son Harry and wife, and grandson Freddy.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, Oct. 26, at 11 a.m. at St. Michael's Episcopal Church, 112 Randolph Ave., Milton.