Glenn L. Shira, of Manassas, VA passed from this life on January 21, 2017 at the age of 93.

He was born in Kittanning, Pennsylvania on September 12, 1923, and attended Kittanning High School, graduating in 1941. He was the beloved husband of Lois M. Ferguson Shira who preceded him in death in October 2007.

He was a World War II veteran, enlisting in the Army Air Corps in 1942, served two years in the China-Burma-India Theater, and was discharged with the rank of Staff Sergeant in November 1945. He attended Marietta College and graduated in 1950 after three years with a B.S. Degree in Petroleum Engineering. His engineer career included building a 400 mile products pipe line system, designing cryogenics, chemical and oil refinery plants. As a rocket engineer he designed various rockets including the guidance rocket for the Titan warhead and rockets for the Apollo space vehicle which allowed the command module to separate from the Apollo vehicle and put man on the moon. For his contributions in the rocket industry he was enshrined into the National Aviation and Space Exploration Wall of Honor, National Air and Space Museum at Dulles Airport. He worked in the Munitions Branch of the Land Warfare Laboratory (LWL) at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland developing numerous field items for the troops in Vietnam for which he was granted numerous patents. After LWL was closed, he joined the Chemical Destruct Laboratory responsible for the destruction of the entire stockpile of the lethal chemical weapons in the Army system. He became the Deputy Program Manager of the Department of Defense Installation Restoration Program. In 1979, he transferred to the Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C. eventually becoming the Director of Research and Developments Industrial and Extractive Processes Division. He retired in June 1984 from government service. With his knowledge of the destruction of hazardous chemical materials, he consulted for the DOD in their effort to clean up the many military installations. He formed his own company and designed a system for the destruction of hazardous material. He was granted patents for the system.

His hobbies included genealogy and writing the family story. He was a member of the London England Burma Star Assoc., Veterans of Foreign Wars, a charter member of the World War II Memorial Washington, DC and a charter member of the World War Museum, New Orleans, LA.

He is survived by four children; Terry Shira of Newark, DE, Marsha McClellan of Bristow, VA., James Shira of Stafford, VA, and Rich Shira of Manassas, VA; Eight grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.

The family will receive visitors on Monday, January 30, 2017, from 12:30-2:00 p.m. at Grace United Methodist Church, 9750 Wellington Road, Manassas, Virginia. A Memorial service will begin at 2:00 p.m. with Pastor Rudy Tucker, Jr. officiating.

Family asks that in lieu of flowers, charitable contributions be made to one of the following charities: the Wounded Warrior Project, St Jude’s Children’s Hospital, or the American Heart Association.

Interment will be in Arlington National Cemetery, VA.

Please sign the guestbook at www.bakerpostfh.com

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