Arthur C. Powell, a retired machine designer and World War II veteran, died Jan. 14 of a massive infection at St. Agnes Hospital. He was 90.
Mr. Powell, the son of a naval architect and a homemaker, was born in Philadelphia and raised in Baltimore, where he graduated in 1939 from Gilman School.
While in the Navy from 1941 to 1946, he worked on the development of radar. He earned a bachelor's degree in 1948 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Mr. Powell returned to Baltimore, where he designed machines for Industrial Research Laboratories and van Zelm Associates Inc. He worked for 27 years for AAI Corp. in Cockeysville before retiring in 1993, and later was a consultant to Wingard and Co.
"His career included projects as small as a postage stamp and as large as a room, including a filled-bottle inspector to detect foreign objects, which was critical for the bottling industry," said a son, David Powell of Monkton.
He was a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
The former longtime Riderwood resident, who moved in 1993 to the Charlestown retirement community, volunteered with Genesis Jobs, Franciscan Center and other outreach centers.
He and his wife of 68 years, the former Elizabeth deGuinhald "Betty" Cleghorn, worked with local colleges to provide hospitality for international students.
Mr. Powell enjoyed making high-quality furniture, metal products and toys, and made household repairs for his Charlestown neighbors, donating all remuneration to Mother Seton Academy.
He was an avid collector and restorer of music boxes, and was a member of the Music Box Society International. He also enjoyed gardening.
Services were held Jan. 18 at Charlestown.
Also surviving are three other sons, Peter Powell of Breezewood, Pa., and Douglas Powell and Gordon Powell, both of Eureka Springs, Ark.; a daughter, Anne P. Cowan of Bristol, Tenn.; seven grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.