James Leland Rand
December 23, 1935 – August 26, 2022
James Leland Rand, age 86, passed away on Friday, August 26, 2022, in San Antonio. He was born in Fort Worth to parents George Leland and Barbara Meyer Rand.
The family relocated to the Washington, D.C., area, where he completed Gonzaga College High School. After graduation, he attended the University of Maryland for one year before being asked to not return. He enlisted in the Air Force, where he served for four years.
After his service, he was readmitted to the University of Maryland where he obtained a bachelor of science degree in aeronautical engineering, a master’s of science degree in aerospace engineering and a PhD in mechanical engineering.
After graduation, he taught in the Aerospace Engineering Department at Texas A&M and was recognized as a Distinguished Alumni. He joined Southwest Research Institute in 1979, where he continued scientific balloon-related research before becoming president of Winzen International in 1983 and eventually CEO.
In 1994, he formed Winzen Engineering to design, analyze and research inflatable vehicles and materials and obtained numerous patents related to ballooning. He was recognized as a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics and served on advisory engineering committees for Texas A&M, Trinity University and the University of Texas Austin for over 40 years.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Patricia Pierson; son-in-law Greg Weber; and granddaughter Angela Weber.
Rand is survived by his wife Patricia Rand; children Patricia Weber, Michael Rand, Theresa Rand, Eileen Soliz, Christopher Rand and Elizabeth Humphries; stepchildren Susan Pryor, Joseph Elliott and Elizabeth Vera; 18 grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren.
The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, September 6, 2022, at Porter Loring Mortuary North. The funeral service will be at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, September 7, 2022, at St. Helena’s Episcopal Church, 410 N. Main St. in Boerne. The Rev. David Read will officiate. Interment with military honors will follow at a later date.
A faithful Aggie until the end, the family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made to the Ring it Forward scholarship program at Texas A&M, handled by Sheila Connor with the Association of Former Students, [email protected].
You are invited to sign the guestbook at www.porterloring.com.
Arrangements with Porter Loring Mortuary North, 2102 North Loop 1604 East, San Antonio, Texas, 78232; 210-495-8221.
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