Sunday, March 8, 2009
Robert W. Manville, 90, a retired program manager at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, died Feb. 6 of
failure to thrive at Manor Care of Alexandria. He was an Alexandria resident.
Mr. Manville, who was trained as a mechanical engineer, began his career with the federal government in 1947 at the
Navy Department, Bureau of Ordnance. For the next 14 years, he worked on a number of major projects, including a
high-velocity antiaircraft projectile, a method of landing high-speed jets on limited-length aircraft carrier decks and the
Polaris missile and submarine program.
In 1962, Mr. Manville joined NASA, where he was program manager of the Delta rocket program and the Agena and
Scout launch vehicles. Scout was the United States' first solid-fuel launch vehicle capable of orbiting a satellite
He retired in 1973 as program manager for small launch vehicles and international programs.
Robert Wellensiek "Robbie" Manville was born in Yonkers, N.Y. His widowed mother brought him as an infant to the
District, where she joined her mother in managing the family-owned residential hotel called the Manchester in the 1400
block of M Street NW (now the site of the Madison Hotel). He grew up in the hotel and graduated from McKinley
Technical High School in 1937.
He took a job with the Postal Service in 1938 and for several years attended night school at George Washington
University. He received his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering in 1949.
In retirement, he joined his sons in renovating residential buildings in Virginia and the District. He also enjoyed
vacationing on the Maine coast and playing pinochle with an informal group that met regularly for many years.
Mr. Manville's marriage to Marion C. Reeves Manville ended in divorce.
Survivors include his wife of 25 years, Catherina Teresa Michaela Maria Danuta Rembacz Manville, of Alexandria; three
children from his first marriage, Bill Leroy Manville and Paul Edward Manville, both of the District, and Diana Marie
Manville of Alexandria; four grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
-- Joe Holley