Aloysius "Al" Eftink (1934-2018) worked as a head technician at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC from 1972 to 1982, and helped prepare the museum for its grand opening on July 1st, 1976. His most notable contributions included leading the installation of the Zeiss VI planetarium projector in the Albert Einstein Spacearium, which was a gift from West Germany for the U.S. Bicentennial, and he also created innovative special effects for the planetarium shows. Prior to his contributions at the National Air and Space Museum, Al had worked at the planetarium in the St. Louis Science Center, and also lead the installation of the planetarium projector in The Children's Museum in West Hartford, CT. His experience with optical imagery led him to Virginia in 1982 to do government contracting work at GE Aerospace, which eventually became part of Lockheed Martin, until he retired in 2000. Al Eftink was a talented hardware engineer and Army veteran who had a strong sense of duty, a knack for tinkering, a jovial laugh, and an admiration for astronomy.