Albert Sabin

Albert Sevier Sabin, Jr. (known as Sevier to his friends and Sonny to his family) was born on November 21st, 1937 at home in the village of Waverly, Tennessee to Albert Sevier Sabin Sr. and Katherine Fishburne Sabin. Living most of his youth in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, he graduated from Farragut High School in 1955 and then received BS and MS degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Tennessee. At UT he was a member of the Alpha Tau Omega social fraternity, the Tau Beta Pi and Eta Kappa Nu honorary engineering fraternities, and the Institute of Radio Engineers. In 1960 he moved to Orlando, Florida, arriving on the same day as hurricane Donna. He began working for the Glenn L. Martin Company, which later became Martin Marietta and finally Lockheed Martin. He spent approximately 20 years in the field of digital radio during which he received the Martin Marietta Corporation's prestigious inventor of the year award for his work on the world's first successful wide area digital radio paging system. He traveled extensively to assist the sales department with explaining this new technology to customers. He later moved into the emerging technology of millimeter wave radars. He was closely involved with several programs, including the United States Army's Longbow helicopter fire control radar and missile seeker, and concluded his 40 year career as director of the radar and electro-optical sensors engineering department. Shortly after moving to Orlando he met Betty Sue Graham, whom he married in 1963 and with whom he shared a wonderful life for over 50 years. Together they traveled the world visiting Europe numerous times as well as Russia, Canada, Mexico and the mid-West. In addition to traveling, Sevier enjoyed playing golf (earning a hole in one at Dubsdread golf course), was a talented painter and also took pleasure in cooking and woodworking and learning French. He is survived by his wife, Betty Sue Sabin, daughter Kathryn Swartwood (Garrett) of Knoxville, grandchildren Madeline, Jack and Graham Swartwood, and brothers Ronald (Martha) Sabin and Ashley (Irene) Sabin. He is preceded in death by his son, Albert S. Sabin, III (Tripp) and parents.