Reidar Alvestad

Reidar “Ray” Alvestad, 77, of Aurora, Colorado passed away on January 11, 2025, after a seven-month battle with pancreatic cancer.

Reidar was born on May 27, 1947, in Haugesund, Norway, to the late Alf B. Alvestad and Martha Nilsen Alvestad. He immigrated to the United States in 1954 with his family, crossing the Atlantic aboard the Stavangerfjord before arriving at Ellis Island. The Alvestads spent a few months in Florida before settling in Annapolis, Maryland where Reidar engaged in many shenanigans around Eastport with his older brother, Alf, and their friends. Reidar was very proud to have become a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1965.

After graduating from Annapolis Senior High School in 1966, Reidar attended Virginia Tech where he earned bachelor’s (1971) and master’s (1972) degrees in Electrical Engineering. He participated in the co-op program, working at the Naval Ship Research Lab in Annapolis every other quarter during college. Reidar’s 43-year career included US government and private research developing computer simulations of surface ship maneuvering, surface-to-air cruise missile guidance systems, and other electronic warfare systems. His work supported numerous government agencies including the US Coast Guard, the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Guard Bureau, the US Department of Commerce, the National Institutes of Health, US Customs, and the Space and Electronic Combat Division of the Chief of Naval Operations at the Pentagon. While Reidar took great pride in all his work, contributing to the Tomahawk Cruise Missile Program was one of his most rewarding accomplishments.

On January 14, 1967, Reidar went on a blind date with Kathryn Mae Anderson. They quickly fell in love and married on March 16, 1969. After the early years of marriage in Blacksburg, Virginia, Reidar and Kathryn returned to Annapolis, Maryland to start a family. Following the birth of their daughter Karyn in 1975, they moved to Dunkirk (Calvert County) in 1977 when daughter Rachel was born. Together, Reidar and Kathryn raised their daughters in a loving home in the community of Apple Greene where they lived for 23 years. Outside of work, Reidar’s life was dedicated to protecting and providing for his family. He was affectionately called “Captain Safety” by some family members and loved to say, “a penny saved is a penny earned.” Reidar was also well known for his genuine kindness, touching the hearts of all who knew him. In 2012, Reidar and Kathryn moved to Aurora, Colorado to be close to their daughters and grandchildren. He retired in 2015 but continued to exhibit a strong work ethic and never sat around twiddling his thumbs. He published a memoir called “Reflections of a Norwegian Immigrant” in 2019.

Reidar is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 55 years, Kathryn Anderson Alvestad; two daughters, Karyn (Matt) Pyle of Aurora, Colorado and Rachel (Jeff) Linger of Denver, Colorado; five grandchildren, Kaia Linger, Peyton Evans, LeeRoy Pyle, Wesley Pyle, and Dylan Linger; his brother and sister-in-law, Alf M. and Angela “Jeannie” Alvestad of Annapolis, Maryland; nephew Jon-Erik (Meaghan) Alvestad; and great-nephew Hale Bond Alvestad.

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, March 22, 2025, at the Byzantium Event and Conference Center, 2747 Riva Rd, Annapolis, Maryland from 2 pm to 5 pm. 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network,  https://pancan.org/ or the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, https://t2t.org/