Dr. Mark Vladimir Morkovin, 97, died on Oct. 18, 2014 at the Oak Park Arms with his sons, Michael and Gregory, and his health care workers, James and Albin, by his side. Born on July 28, 1917 in Prague, Czechoslovakia, he and his wife, Alva, movedto Oak Park from Baltimore, Maryland in 1967 to work at IIT. They lived on North Linden Avenue until Alva’s death in 1998.
After living alone for a time, he joined the Oak Park Arms community of seniors in October 2005. He cared deeply about people specifically and collectively and about world affairs and the stewardship of our planet socially, politically and environmentally. When he arrived in America to join his father and brother in Los Angeles during the height of the Depression, he didn’t speak any English but had proficiency in six other languages.
Dr. Morkovin went into mathematics and science because it was the quickest way to get a degree. While doing post-doctoral work during WWII and wanting to help the war effort, he learned that Bell Aircraft was trying to break the speed of sound. He wrote them a six-page treatise saying how he would approach the work. They said, “Great. Come do it.” He headed the design team and personally designed the key aspects — a revolutionary wind and tail design — of the first supersonic aircraft, the X-1, of “The Right Stuff” fame. He went on to teach and do research in subsequent years for universities, Lockheed Martin, the Jet Propulsion Lab, NASA, etc. Other notable projects he undertook included the Saturn rocket, which took man to the moon, and the space shuttle.
He was one of the top people in the world in his particular field for a long time, his expertise being “transition and instability” of fluids, a field in aeronautics and aerospace.
Dr. Morkovin was known as a teacher and mentor, a true scientist, one who stood for integrity and excellence in research. He helped many of his graduate and post-doctoral students through to full professional careers. He was was focused, energetic and dedicated.
Mark Morkovin is survived by his sons, Michael and Gregory. He was preceded in death by his wife, Alva. A “Celebration of Life” will be held this Saturday, Dec. 13 starting at 2 p.m. in the ballroom at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave. in Oak Park. Additional information is available at 708-386-4040.