Below is an obituary from Conte Funeral Homes:
ANDOVER, MA — Paul C. Dow, Jr of Andover, Massachusetts passed away on April 8, 2024 surrounded by his family at the age of 97.
Paul was born to Paul C. Dow, Sr and Dorothy Cushing Dow in Melrose, MA on March 31, 1927. He was raised in Melrose, Rockport, and Danvers, where he attended Holten High School. He entered the Milliard Preparatory School in Washington, DC as a senior before entering the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He graduated with distinction with a B.S. degree in Engineering in 1949. Paul married Joan Horner in Brooklyn, NY on August 12, 1950.
Paul began his military career as a student pilot in the Air Force flying the single engine AT-6 trainer and then went on to Nellis Air Force Base where he completed pilot training in the F-51 Mustang fighter. He later served at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. His last assignment was at the Ballistic Missile Division in Los Angeles where he was responsible for the guidance system of the Atlas Missile.
While in the Air Force, he studied at the University of Michigan where he received M.S. degrees in both Aeronautical Engineering and Instrumentation Engineering as well as his Ph.D in 1957. Paul retired from the military in 1960 and moved his family to Andover, MA. He worked as a staff engineer at Avco Research and Advanced Development Division in Wilmington, MA and was named manager of their Guidance and Control Department.
In 1975 he took a position at The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory in Cambridge, MA. Within a few years he was promoted to Vice President of Programs at Draper, responsible for Laboratory Programs including Navy and Air Force undersea systems, aircraft avionics systems and technology developments for a large number of government and industrial sponsors. In 1988 he was promoted to Senior Vice President at Draper and was responsible for their large Independent Research and Development Program. The technologies that were developed by Paul and his team proved critical to the success of our nation’s strategic deterrence capability, and they remain key technologies even to this day.
Paul is survived by his wife, Joan and their four children; Debbie Whiting and her husband Bill of Rockport, Linda Smith and her husband Tom of Exeter, NH, Bruce Dow and his wife Josie of West Newbury, and Eric Dow and his wife Pam of Barrington, RI. He is also survived by 10 adoring grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
He was a longtime volunteer at St. Augustine Church in Andover and served the Town of Andover in several capacities over the years.
Paul loved his wife Joan with whom he traveled extensively throughout the world in their 73 years of marriage. He also loved West Point, flying, and sailing off the coast of Cape Ann. He was passionate about researching and recording his family history and genealogy. But most of all he loved his family and he will be deeply missed by all of them.
Visiting hours were at the Conte Funeral Home 28 Florence St. in Andover from 9:00 AM until 10:30 AM on April 12, 2024. Services, with full military honors, was held at 11:00 AM in St. Augustine Church, 47 Essex St. Andover, immediately afterwards.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Paul’s name to Andover Village Improvement Society (AVIS) P.O. Box 5097, Andover, MA 01810, or to the Thacher and Straitsmouth Islands Association, P.O. Box 73, Rockport, MA 01966.
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