W.A. Richman, 77, top-security engineer

Walter A. Richman, 77, of Delran, an engineer instrumental in secret government-run missions, died Thursday in hospice care at Virtua Memorial Hospital in Mount Holly of congestive heart failure.

The Egg Harbor native moved to Philadelphia for his high school years, graduating from Roman Catholic High School, where he excelled in math.

Mr. Richman then enrolled as an engineering major at Drexel University, but after one semester, he left college to join the Air Force. For most of the four years he served during the Korean War, he fixed airplane engines. He also served three years in the National Guard.

Mr. Richman returned to Drexel to finish his electrical engineering degree while working at RCA in Camden, said his wife, Carolyn.

Mr. Richman worked for RCA and GE Aerospace in Camden for several decades. He retired in 1995.

His achievements included developing aerial mapping equipment, which he used in 1963 to locate oil in the North Sea. He also designed a bar-code identification system for railroad cars.

But his favorite project, his wife recalled, was being one of the lead engineers behind the Wall Street stock ticker in New York City.

Mr. Richman also helped design equipment for the U.S. military's communication systems, but those projects had top security clearance, so his wife had few details.

"He never talked about his work," she said. "Sometimes when we were out, he would say people were following him."

Though he kept many professional secrets, Mr. Richman used his talents to help others.

Mr. Richman was a warden at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Riverside for many years and programmed the church's computer system. And parishioners called on him often for computer help, his wife said.

In addition to his wife, Mr. Richman is survived by a son, Brian; daughters Tracy L. McCart and Karen R. Janney; and two granddaughters.

A viewing is scheduled from 10 to 11 a.m. today, with the funeral following at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, 324 Bridgeboro St., Riverside. Entombment will be in Lakeview Memorial Park, Cinnaminson.