Noel Harold Ethridge

Noel Harold Ethridge, 87, of Bel Air, MD passed away on March 17, 2015 at Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air, MD. Born in Plains, GA, he was the son of the late George Paul Ethridge Sr. and Willie Mae Blackshear Ethridge and husband of the late Gloria Elaine (Malone) Ethridge. A 1948 graduate of Georgia Institute of Technology, Mr. Ethridge was a nuclear physicist employed for 33 years at Ballistics Research Laboratory at Aberdeen Proving Ground. He was a specialist in blast phenomena and effects and participated in many government projects involving nuclear and high-energy testing in the Pacific, White Sands, Nevada Testing Ground, and Canada. He spent another 20 years as a consultant with Applied Research Associates. He was listed in American Men and Women of Science and was a lifelong member of the American Physical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the New York Academy of Sciences. He was a member of First Presbyterian Church of Bel Air and served as an Elder on the Session. Mr. Ethridge was a pianist and painter in his spare time and enjoyed traveling, mainly in the U.S., Europe and Australia. He was also an amateur astronomer and loved arts, music and martial arts.

Mr. Ethridge is survived by his sons, David L. Ethridge of Bel Air, and Jeffrey N. Ethridge and wife, Kim, of Annapolis; daughter Patricia L. Ethridge of New York, NY; brother Paul Ethridge Jr. of Salem, AL; and grandchildren, Kevin A. Ethridge and Genevieve E. Ethridge.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to First Presbyterian Church, 224 North Main Street, Bel Air, MD 21014 or Chesapeake Bay Foundation, 6 Herndon Avenue, Annapolis, MD 21403.