L.L. Willis did not know Ben Rusche very well when they worked together on the Aiken County School Board in the early 1970s, but one of his physical traits remains in his memory.
"He had one of the heartiest handshakes I've ever had," said Willis, who was assistant superintendent and interim superintendent for the district and superintendent of Area 3 Schools. "He was a very aggressive gentleman, and by aggressive, I mean that he was very gung-ho and enthusiastic."
Rusche died Monday in Columbia. A native of Mississippi and a 1953 graduate of Tennessee Polytechnic University, Rusche began his career at the Savannah River Plant as a research manager in reactor physics and safety. He later became the corporate director of health and safety for DuPont, which managed SRP worldwide.
In his many years of government service, Rusche was the director of nuclear reactor regulations in the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the assistant secretary of the high-level nuclear waste program in the Department of Energy and the chairman of the S.C. Governor's Nuclear Advisory Council.
He also directed the waste management effort of the Three Mile Island accident recovery and consulted technically for then-Secretary of Energy Jim Edwards, a former governor of South Carolina. Rusche also was the president of his own company, Management and Technical Resources Inc.
John Veldman, the chairman of the Savannah River Site Retirees Association, knew Rusche "back in the day."
"Ben brought a keen intellect and a broad and insightful perspective to his work," he said.
Rusche also was on the Savannah River National Laboratory advisory committee as SRNL grew into its new role as a national laboratory.
"He was the whole package and had a big impact on many aspects of this nation's nuclear program," Veldman said. "He was technically capable, energetic and passionately held strong opinions."
Veldman agreed with Willis about Rusche's handshake. "He had the firmest handshake in South Carolina," he said. "He will be missed."
A memorial service will be at 3 p.m. today at St. Andrews Baptist Church in Columbia. The family will be receive friends from 1 to 3 p.m. in the chapel.
An Aiken native, Larry Wood is a general assignment reporter. He started at the Aiken Standard in September 2014.