Obituary for ~
Retired Navy Rear Admiral
Justin E. "Jack" Langille
February 4,1923 - May 2,1996
Retired Navy Rear Adm. Justin E. "Jack" Langille,
who was also an inventor and the deputy director of UCSD's Scripps Institution of Oceanography,
died Thursday. He was 73.
Mr. Langille died at the Torrey Pines Convalescent Hospital
in La Jolla of natural causes, family members said.
He was born in Kalamazoo, Mich.,
and made San Diego his home for the past 18 years.
Mr. Langille's military career spanned 38 years until 1981.
He held a variety of sea commands and high-level research positions in naval laboratories.
In the research role, he co-invented the military aircraft escape chute,
an underwater work vehicle and a shipboard helicopter landing computer.
He served as commander of both the naval base in San Diego and the
naval base in San Francisco from 1978-1981.
Mr. Langille, a 1946 graduate of the Naval Academy,
earned a master's degree in management and engineering from
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and also held a master's degree in oceanography.
During his military service, he was awarded the Legion of Merit, two Bronze Stars,
the Meritorious Service Medal and various campaign medals.
Upon his retirement, Mr. Langille served as director of Marine Operations
for the Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute Task Force for the Frontier-Challenger Expedition.
He later went to Scripps, where he held the deputy director's position from 1982-87.
He also authored numerous technical publications,
including several Naval Academy textbooks on naval science, guided missiles and underwater weapons.
He was a member of the USNA Alumni Association,
US Navy Memorial Foundation, the Society of Sigma Xi, the New York and San Diego Yacht clubs, and the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre.
Mr. Langille is survived by his wife, Madeleine Binet Langille;
daughters Renee Daniels, of San Diego,
Rosemary Ireland, of Santa Isabel,
Dr. Therese Langille and Celeste Langille, both of San Francisco;
a son, the Rev. Justin E. Langille,
a sister, Rosemary Langille Guy, of Tallahassee, Fla.,
and a grand-daughter, Marielle Daniels.
A vigil service will be held tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Saint Charles Borromeo Church in Point Loma.
A funeral mass is scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Naval Training Center Chapel,
with a burial at sea to follow.
The Conrad Lemon Grove Mortuary is handling arrangements.
The family asks that contributions be made to the St. Vincent de Paul Center.
This obituary appeared in the May 06, 1996 edition of The San Diego Union-Tribune
Page: B-5
There is a very good biography and photograph of Rear Admiral Justin E. Langille on this website.
Return to Langille Obituaries
Return to the Langill - Langille Home Page
Retired Navy Rear Admiral
Justin E. "Jack" Langille
February 4,1923 - May 2,1996
Retired Navy Rear Adm. Justin E. "Jack" Langille,
who was also an inventor and the deputy director of UCSD's Scripps Institution of Oceanography,
died Thursday. He was 73.
Mr. Langille died at the Torrey Pines Convalescent Hospital
in La Jolla of natural causes, family members said.
He was born in Kalamazoo, Mich.,
and made San Diego his home for the past 18 years.
Mr. Langille's military career spanned 38 years until 1981.
He held a variety of sea commands and high-level research positions in naval laboratories.
In the research role, he co-invented the military aircraft escape chute,
an underwater work vehicle and a shipboard helicopter landing computer.
He served as commander of both the naval base in San Diego and the
naval base in San Francisco from 1978-1981.
Mr. Langille, a 1946 graduate of the Naval Academy,
earned a master's degree in management and engineering from
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and also held a master's degree in oceanography.
During his military service, he was awarded the Legion of Merit, two Bronze Stars,
the Meritorious Service Medal and various campaign medals.
Upon his retirement, Mr. Langille served as director of Marine Operations
for the Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute Task Force for the Frontier-Challenger Expedition.
He later went to Scripps, where he held the deputy director's position from 1982-87.
He also authored numerous technical publications,
including several Naval Academy textbooks on naval science, guided missiles and underwater weapons.
He was a member of the USNA Alumni Association,
US Navy Memorial Foundation, the Society of Sigma Xi, the New York and San Diego Yacht clubs, and the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre.
Mr. Langille is survived by his wife, Madeleine Binet Langille;
daughters Renee Daniels, of San Diego,
Rosemary Ireland, of Santa Isabel,
Dr. Therese Langille and Celeste Langille, both of San Francisco;
a son, the Rev. Justin E. Langille,
a sister, Rosemary Langille Guy, of Tallahassee, Fla.,
and a grand-daughter, Marielle Daniels.
A vigil service will be held tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Saint Charles Borromeo Church in Point Loma.
A funeral mass is scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Naval Training Center Chapel,
with a burial at sea to follow.
The Conrad Lemon Grove Mortuary is handling arrangements.
The family asks that contributions be made to the St. Vincent de Paul Center.
This obituary appeared in the May 06, 1996 edition of The San Diego Union-Tribune
Page: B-5
There is a very good biography and photograph of Rear Admiral Justin E. Langille on this website.
Return to Langille Obituaries
Return to the Langill - Langille Home Page