Allen Fuhs

Allen Eugene Fuhs was born in Laramie, Wyoming on August 11, 1927, the second of two children of Grace and Michael Fuhs.   He passed away in Monterey, California, on December 20, 2021, at the age of 94.   Dr. Fuhs was a graduate of the University of New Mexico, where he received where he received his degree in Mechanical Engineering.   After serving in the United States Navy during the Korean Conflict, he returned to his studies, earning M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology.

During his lifetime, Dr. Fuhs conducted research into topics ranging from rarefied gas dynamics for reentry vehicles to anti-prism geometries in structures.    He spent the majority of his career as a professor at the Naval Postgraduate School, and retired from the School as a Distinguished Professor - the equivalent of a Chair at a private university.   After retiring from NPS, he was Chief Scientist of Orbital Sciences Corporation from 1987-1990.  His many professional awards included being elected President of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA); being named as an Honorary Fellow of AIAA, the Institute’s highest award; and being selected for the New Mexico Museum of Space History Hall of Fame.   Fuhs also served on Vice President Dan Quayle’s Space Policy Advisory Board and on the Advisory Committee for the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.  Late in life, he established the Fuhs Family Foundation (a part of the Community Foundation for Monterey County) to encourage involvement of young scientists and engineers in science communications.

Dr. Fuhs is survived by his daughter, Susan Fuhs; son-in-law and grandson, David and John Fink; his brother, John (Jack) Fuhs; many nieces and nephews; and his long-time companion, Maxine Hoag.   His funeral service, which was delayed for Covid-19 safety, will be held at Cope Mortuary Chapel in Gallup, New Mexico, on March 21, 2022, at 10 am, after which he will be buried next to his wife, Emily, at Hillcrest Cemetery.