Lance Dwight Ginner of Portola Valley passed away surrounded by family on October 6, 2023, after a short battle with pancreatic cancer.

 

Lance was born on July 3, 1938, to Harry Ginner and Mildred Durant Ginner.  They lived in Lemon Cove, California, a very small town in Tulare County.  Lance was an enthusiastic “techie” from a young age and obtained his “ham” amateur radio license in 1954.  He graduated from Exeter High School in 1956, then attended College of the Sequoias where he met Wanda Walston (at the Sweetheart Dance on Valentine’s Day).  They married in 1960 and moved to the Bay Area where Lance began a 37-year career working for Lockheed as an electronics engineer in their aerospace department developing satellites.  That enthusiasm led him to be a major part of the team that developed OSCAR-1 (Orbital Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio) which was launched in 1961.  He continued to be involved with the OSCAR program through the launch of multiple OSCARS over the next 63 years.  He was also active within AMSAT, the worldwide amateur radio satellite organization.  Lance gave presentations and did interviews about the development of amateur satellite programs and his part in those programs over more than 63 years.

 

He is survived by his wife Wanda Ginner, sons Eric Ginner and Greg Ginner, Greg’s wife Debby Ginner, and grandson Garrett Ginner.  Lance will be sorely missed by all who knew him.  The family plans a private memorial.