Posted On - Feb. 24
Submitted By - Charles Covington
Clifford H. Covington Jr., whose mathematics degree led to a long career at Rockwell International, where he worked on the space program and classified defense initiatives, passed away Jan. 31 at age 87.
Covington was born July 25, 1933, in Cleveland, Ohio, to parents Clifford H. Covington Sr. and Alma E. Allen. The family eventually moved to Compton, Calif., where he graduated from Compton High School. An only child, he was studious and excelled in school, particularly in chemistry, physics and math, taking college courses while still in high school. He graduated from Compton College in 1954 with an A.A. degree in mathematics and physics. He then transferred to UCLA and the family moved from Compton to Hyde Park, closer to the UCLA campus in Westwood.