Ricardo Nakin Zapata, 75, of Short Hills, N.J., died May 10, 2008 in Summit, N.J. He was a professor of aerospace and systems engineering at the University of Virginia from 1960 to 1978.

A native of Chile and graduate of the Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa Maria in Valparaiso, Ricardo came to America in 1956 to pursue graduate studies. After a distinguished career at U.Va., Ricardo joined Bell Labs in New Jersey in 1978 and retired in 2000.
Daily Progress obituary