Calvin (Cal) Ridley Dodd died Feb. 12 at home, surrounded by family.

He was born in Edgartown on Oct. 28, 1929, to Percy and Eva Gladys Dodd. He grew up on Martha’s Vineyard and in Boston. After attending Chauncey Hall Preparatory School and Milton Academy, he graduated from Tufts University with a degree in electrical engineering.

He worked for RCA before being drafted into the Army where he taught classes on ballistic missiles. After his army tour, he worked in the following government programs: Minuteman, Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo. Employed by Space Technology Labs, he helped set up the research laboratory at Cape Canaveral. Later he moved to Washington, D.C. and worked for TRW on the Anti-Submarine Warfare Program.

In Washington, D.C., Cal met and married Ann Frances Robinson. He was a true, sweet gentleman and a strong Christian. He loved tinkering with his many automobiles and hi-fi equipment. He was the architect and builder of his family’s summer home on Martha’s Vineyard, a great dream he had for years. He loved to travel and was always ready to see the world. His humor and dry wit were a Calvin trademark.

He was predeceased by his son, Brian Douglas Dodd and his three brothers: Richard, Milton, and Vernon. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Ann Frances; a son, Robert Allen Dodd; a daughter, Ann Margaret Baird; and four grandchildren.