"John S. Barry, an executive who masterminded the spread of WD-40, the petroleum-based lubricant and protectant created for the space program, into millions of American households, died on July 3 in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego. He was 84."
Full article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/22/business/22barry1.html?hpw
Interesting story about a ubiquitous product...