Adults of Coalwood

Homer Hickam Sr.

Homer Sr. was a hard-headed mine foreman in Coalwood and also Homer Jr. (Sonny's) father. He was very serious about his job and always went out of his way to help miners in distress. He almost always seemed to be at opposing ends with the union leader, who dated Elsie when they were in high school. Homer seemed to care more about Jim's concerns than he cared about Sonny's. He develops a spot on his lunc that is the common miner's disease, Black Lung. He refuses to quit working at the mine even though majority of the workers that have suffered from the illness are forced in to retirement but allowed to stay in Coalwood.

Elsie Hickam

Elsie is the mother of Homer Hickam Jr. She always supposrted Sonny, even after the accident with him blowing up the rose gardena the fence. She does often finds herself disagreeing with her husband, Homer Hickam Sr., with the rocket building.Elsie is frequently working on her mural of Myrtle Beach as her way of escaping from Coalwood for a short time.

Miss Riley

Miss Riley was Sonny's science teacher at Big Creek High School. She inspires and supports the Rocket Boys to compete in the National Science Fair. She gives a book called Principles of Guided Missle Design to Sonny, which ends up being very beneficial to the Rocket Boys in the future. She also arranges for the Rocket Boys' entry into the National Science Fair. Shortly before Sonny leaves for the science fair Miss Riley is diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphome. Her illness starts to go into remission, but later on she dies from her disease.

Jake Mosby

Jake Mosby is an engineer from the company in Ohio. He had a telescope one night that the boys looked througgh and saw Jupiter and imagined a different life, he also introduces the boys to a writer of a small newspaper. He is a won=manizing alcoholic that helps pay the debts the BCMA obtains. Later on he settles down and starts dating Miss Riley for a period of time, trying to be reliable for her.

Ike (Isaac) Bykovski

Ike Bykovski was a machinist at the mine who's known Sonny since he was little. He starts helping Sonny build his rockets. When Homer Sr found out about him helping Sonny with company materials without permission, he sends Ike into the mine to work as a punishment. Later on he is offered his job back as a machinist but stays at the mine because he makes more money in the mine. Ike Bykovski is killed in a mine collapse while he was operating a loader.

Mary Bykovski

Mary is the wife of Ike Bykovski, she has always thought of Sonny like her son. Mary left Coalwood after her husband was killed in the mining accident, in spite of the company granting her extended stay.

No Pictures Were Found Of Mary Bykovski

No Pictures Were Found Of Ike Bykovski

No Pictures Were Found Of Jake Mosby