Cmdr. Louis LaVern Junod, Ret., of Williamsburg, died May 24, 2014, at Woodhaven Hall, surrounded by his loving family. He was 91.
He was born March 27, 1923 in Topeka, Kan. to Louis John Junod and Mary Frances Downs Junod. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., class of 1946, with a Bachelor’s of Science. He went on to earn a Master’s of Science Degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1953 and a Master’s of Arts Degree in education from the College of William and Mary in 1985.
In the course of his Navy career, he served on the USS Mississippi (BB-41), USS Ammen (DD-527), USS Vesole (DDR-878) and USS Des Moines (CA-134). He was commanding officer of the USS Gyatt (DD-712) and U.S. naval liaison officer to MIT Instrumentation Laboratory where the A-3 Polaris Missile guidance system was developed.
Following retirement from the Navy in 1967, he worked at the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc. (CSDL) in Cambridge, Mass. Activity at the lab included projects in missile guidance and deep submergence instrumentation and simulation.
Mr. Junod and his wife, Bernice, retired to Williamsburg in 1981 and subsequently moved to the Williamsburg Landing, a continuing care retirement community, in 2004. Spending his youth in Chanute, Kan., he became an Eagle Scout, began a lifelong enjoyment of music and played coronet.
He was an active community volunteer, member of the Williamsburg United Methodist Church, member of the Williamsburg Chapter of SCORE, member of the Kiwanis Club of Williamsburg and past master of the Richard C. Maclaurin Masonic Lodge, AF & AM in Cambridge, Mass.
He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Bernice (Mann) Junod; daughter, Frances Junod Kunz (R. Ronald), of Leesburg; son, Louis John Junod, II (Suzanne), of Rockville, Md.; five grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; brother, Dr. Forrest L. Junod (Pat), of Sacramento, Calif.; brother-in-law, Cecil C. Mann (Charlotte); and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.
A visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 30, 2014, at Bucktrout Funeral Home. A celebration of Mr. Junod’s life will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 31, 2014, at Williamsburg United Methodist Church with internment beginning at 2 p.m. at the Cedar Grove Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the American Cancer Society, Williamsburg United Methodist Church or other charity of choice.
Please leave online condolences for the family at Bucktrout Funeral Home.
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