Milo D. Nordyke

Milo D. Nordyke died July 22. He was 92.

Nordyke was born on Dec. 2, 1929, in Maynard, Iowa, the youngest of four children to Clyde and Lucy Nordyke. He grew up in Marshalltown, Iowa. He served as the valedictorian at his junior college. He then earned a degree in physics from the University of Iowa and later a master’s from UC Berkeley.  It was during junior college that he met the love of his life, Carma Barbara Graff. They were married in 1951 and soon moved to Corona, California, where he worked at the Naval Ordnance Lab. He learned of a new position at the Lawrence Livermore National Lab. At the Lab, he worked as a nuclear physicist for the rest of his career. He spent an amazing 40 years traveling the globe and meeting with fellow scientists and politicians to discuss nuclear energy and to create test ban treaties for nuclear weapons.

He was also quite active in city government. He served on the Livermore City Council from 1960-1968, and from 1965-67, he was the appointed mayor.  While in office, he played an active role in the development of Las Positas Golf Course and in the relocation and construction of Livermore Municipal Airport.

He is survived by his children, Dwight Richard Nordyke (Ernestine), Kathryn Lechner (Robert), Barbara Gagnon (Rob), Lisa Jost (Randy), Anne Nordyke (Renaud Rocroi), and his seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife Carma (2003) and grandson Matthew Gagnon (2017).

Services will be held at the First Presbyterian Church at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 31, with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, please donate to a charity of your choice.