Thor Solberg ’65 *66

Thor died Dec. 16, 2017.

Born in the Princeton area near the family airport in Readington, N.J., he attended the Lawrenceville School, where he played football, wrestled, and won a state championship in pole vaulting. At Princeton he graduated with honors in aerospace and mechanical engineering, took his meals at Cannon Club, and was a Chapel deacon.

 He operated the airport and defended it against incursions of all sorts — and flew aloft around the world, with a career first as a flight instructor and then for 34 years as a United Airlines jumbo-jet pilot.

After retirement, Thor continued flying corporate aircraft and earned 11 jet ratings. He served as chairman of the board of the National Air Transportation Association and of its Flight Training Committee.

He often took his family to Norway to meet their relatives, and worked endlessly to protect his beloved Solberg Airport from eminent-domain proceedings in conjunction with his sisters, Lorraine Solberg and Suzanne Nagle.

He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Marilyn Walker; their two sons, Thor III and Lars; and four grandsons. The class sends its condolences to the family of our distinguished, energetic, and productive classmate.