URBANA – Charles E. Bond, 77, of Urbana died at 3:06 a.m. Jan. 5, 2008, at the Champaign County Nursing Home, Urbana.

Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. Feb. 2, 2008, at First United Methodist Church of Champaign, 210 W. Church St., Champaign. Rev. Terry Harter will officiate.

Charles was born Feb. 1, 1930, at Royston, Georgia, a son of Jones T. and Irene Nelson Bond. He earned a B.S. in physics from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1951, his M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan in 1956, and his Ph.D. in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering in 1964, also from the University of Michigan. He was Project Engineer at the Jet Propulsion Lab at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., from 1956 to 1957.

Charles was also Lead Scientist for the hyperthermal wind tunnel group at AVCO Research and Advanced Development Division in Wilmington, Massachusetts. He was Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Illinois from 1964 until his retirement in 1999.

Dr. Bond's work centered on supersonic and hypersonic wind tunnel testing and electric arc research. While at the University of Illinois, he designed the thermionic rail accelerator, a unique experimental facility for conducting research in plasma physics. He taught courses in aerodynamics, magnetohydrodynamics, and electric propulsion.

Professor Bond developed and taught university courses in renewable energy sources, wind power technology, the energy-environment crisis, and technology assessment for non-engineers. He was a member of the American Wind Energy Association, the American Solar Energy Society, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and the American Society for Engineering Education.

Professor Bond also was an actor, appearing locally in community theater and university productions of "The Glass Menagerie," "Blithe Spirit," "Arsenic and Old Lace," "A Thousand Clowns" and "Look Back in Anger," among others. He served as president of the Champaign-Urbana Community Theatre in 1970 and 1971.

In 1968 Professor Bond and his wife, Carol, formed a comedy team known as "Charles and Carol," and for the next four years performed their original comedy show for many Central Illinois organizations, including the USO at Chanute Air Force Base and the Society of Professional Engineers.

Professor Bond's professional acting credits include "Two for the Seesaw" at Red Barn Playhouse in Rockton, and many productions at The Little Theater on the Square in Sullivan, including "Sweet Charity," "Teahouse of the August Moon," "Annie Get Your Gun," "1776" and "A Christmas Carol."

Poetry composed by Professor Bond and inspired by concerts given at the Krannert Center for Performing Arts by students and faculty of the University of Illinois Department of Dance reflected his singular gift for capturing in words the movement, the color, the meaning, the grace of dance.

He married Carol A. Unzicker on April 4, 1971, at Champaign. She survives. Also surviving are three sons, Turner D. Bond of Columbia, Mo., Nelson K. Bond of Champaign and Kyle E. Bond of Wauconda; three daughters, Laura S. Bond-Harris of Naperville, Irene Bond Anderson of Batavia and Cynthia D. Bond of Chicago; one stepson, Timothy Unzicker of Naperville; five grandchildren, Grayson Bond, Lindsay and Andrew Bond-Harris, and August and Dixon Anderson; and two sisters, Janet Chester of Savannah, Ga., and Alice Nelson Caldwell of Atlanta, Ga.

He was preceded in death by his parents and first wife, Frances Dixon Bond Turquette.

Memorials may be made to Haiti Solar Oven Project, Attn: Rick Jost, 928 4th St. 2, Brookings, SD 57006 or First United Methodist Church, Champaign.