Richard Aran Goldberg

Richard Aran Goldberg, 83, died on November 2, 2019 at home in Silver Spring, MD after a long illness.

He leaves his beloved wife of 53 years, Paula (Erlick) Goldberg; his daughter, Lisa Goldberg and her husband, Stefan Gunther; his granddaughter Andi; his sister, Bonnie Lewis; and many other relatives and close friends. He was pre-deceased by his brother, Lawrence Goldberg.

Dr. Goldberg was born in Boston to parents Samuel and Ida Goldberg and raised in Swampscott, Massachusetts. He graduated from Swampscott High School in 1953 and from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in 1957 with a B.S. in Physics. He graduated from Penn State University with a Ph.D. in Physics in 1963.

In 1963, he began his career at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center as a physicist and rocket scientist. He worked at NASA for 50 years until his retirement in 2013. He conducted scientific studies of the middle and upper atmosphere and ionosphere using sounding rockets. International partnerships led to projects around the world, including Sweden, Norway, Peru, Brazil, India and Spain. He co-authored numerous scientific papers, along with the book Sun, Weather and Climate in 1978.

Dr. Goldberg loved to travel and immersed himself in the culture of each place he visited. He particularly enjoyed trying new foods and meeting new people. He also earned a pilot’s license and owned a Cessna with two friends. He appreciated music throughout his life and was a gifted photographer.

The Goldberg Family expresses its heartfelt thanks to the devoted caregivers and JSSA Hospice staff who thoughtfully cared for Richard and his family. 

The funeral and interment will be held at 10 AM on Monday, November 4 at Judean Memorial Gardens, 16225 Batchellors Forest Rd., Olney, MD (https://www.judeangardens.com/), with a reception following at 2901 S. Leisure World Boulevard, Silver Spring, MD in the Creekside Community Room (Building B).

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Georgetown University Movement Disorders Clinic (https://neurology.georgetown.edu/fund-a-fellow/) or the JSSA Hospice Program (https://www.jssa.org/give/).