June 5, 2021
Written by Noreen Grice and JT Towne
Tina received a BA in anthropology from Franklin Pierce College in NH and worked at the Charles Hayden Planetarium (CHP), Boston, in the 1980s as the planetarium’s registrar. She coordinated admissions for the annual Lowell Astronomy Lectures and student enrollment for various astronomy courses. She met her husband Dave Huestis, who was one of the course instructors, while working at the Charles Hayden Planetarium.
Tina presented some live shows under the dome and contributed to the planetarium’s marketing efforts. She implemented radio promotions for planetarium shows, wrote articles for the Museum of Science membership’s newsletter (i.e. article, “Seen Any Good Eclipses Lately?”) and was a writer/editor for the popular planetarium show “Death Stars and Dinosaurs.”
Tina commuted daily between Cape Cod and Boston. In 1982 she drove all the way to Florida with a coworker to witness the launch of space shuttle STS-3. The museum arranged press credentials to allow the two members of the planetarium staff to view and photograph from an ideal vantage point and meet VIPs.
Tina developed a keen appreciation for astronomy, museum exhibitory and infotainment over her years at the museum while working closely with Assistant Planetarium Director Walter Webb, Planetarium Director John “Jack” Carr and other department staff.
In 1985, she left her position in the planetarium and went to work for two publishing houses and spent a number of years at METLIFE in Warwick, RI working as a Project Manager in the Product Marketing Dept.
Along with husband and fellow sky watcher Dave Huestis, Tina became an avid birdwatcher. The couple participated as members of Skyscrapers, Inc. at the Seagrave Memorial Observatory in Rhode Island. Tina and Dave Huestis were married for almost 36 years and they traveled extensively in support of bird watching and observational astronomy.