Obituaries : Don V. McPherson; Retired Northrop Mechanic
Don V. McPherson, a retired mechanic at Northrop Corp. and longtime Palmdale resident, has died in Palmdale. He was 71.
McPherson died Wednesday of pneumonia, said his wife, Ruth McPherson.
A native of Oxnard, he was raised in Santa Paula. McPherson went to work as a mechanic for Northrop in Hawthorne in 1940, but took off three years to serve in the U.S. Army during World War II, attaining the rank of sergeant. After he was discharged, he returned to Northrop in Hawthorne. In 1954, he moved to Palmdale and transferred to the company’s Palmdale plant, where he worked until his retirement in 1976.
He is survived by his wife of 42 years; sons Vernon P. McPherson of Huntsville, Tex., and David A. McPherson of Hawthorne; a sister, Patricia Bailey of Santa Paula; 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Visitation is planned from 3 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Chapel of the Valley Mortuary, 38141 6th St. East in Palmdale, which is handling the arrangements. A graveside service is scheduled for Wednesday at 1 p.m. at Pierce Brothers Santa Paula Cemetery, 380 Cemetery Road in Santa Paula.
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