In Memoriam

Cort Louis Durocher
February 5, 2021

Lt. Col. (Ret) Cort Durocher, Class of 1968, will be interred on Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021, at 10 a.m. at the USAF Academy Cemetery. Following the ceremony, luncheon will be served at the Eisenhower Golf Club. Those attending are requested RSVP to bethdurocher@earthlink.net. Cort died on Feb. 5, 2021, in West Palm Beach Fla.

Cort flew the A-37 in Vietnam and Tucson, Ariz., and the O-2 in Texas and Hawaii. He earned an MS degree in astronautical engineering, with honors at MIT, completed the Wharton Directors Institute, and earned an executive MBA at Northwestern University's Kellogg Business School.
Cort had two tours as systems engineer and acquisition officer for the space shuttle program, and director of technology for the advanced launch system program office.

After retirement from the Air Force in 1988, he was appointed executive director of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), directing a staff of more than 100 with responsibility for membership services, publications, symposia, standards development and public policy.

After retiring from AIAA in 2003, he and his wife enjoyed their horses, cruising the Caribbean aboard their boat, and extensive international travel. Serving in his church, participating in civic affairs, captaining his bocce team and playing pickle ball were favorite pastimes.

Cort is survived by his wife of 52 years, Beth, who remains in the family home in West Palm Beach, Fla.; brother Dan in Oklahoma; and brother Jim in Florida.                                                                              (Beth Durocher, Cort’s wife)

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