Bernard J. O'Keefe, who helped develop America's first nuclear bomb and later spoke out against the dangers of nuclear war, died at his home in Wayland. He was 69.
O'Keefe joined EG&G in Wellesley in 1947 and served as the high-technology research and defense consulting company's chief executive officer from 1965 to 1983. He was chairman of the board from 1972 until 1985.O'Keefe went to Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico during World War II to build the firing circuits for the weapons that leveled Nagasaki and Hiroshima and received a presidential citation for his efforts.
In addition to his roles at EG&G, O'Keefe served as director of John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Co., Dennison Manufacturing Co., Boston Edison and Kurzweil Music Systems and was a director of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. He leaves his wife, Teri, three daughters, a son and a sister.