HERBERT FRANCIS HAFENMAIER

1925-2018

Herbert Francis Hafenmaier passed away on Sunday, April 22, 2018, surrounded by his immediate family. He was the only child of Balthasar and Johanna Jung Hafenmaier born on the 12th of June, 1925, in New York City, New York. He spent his youth in Manhattan and then enlisted in the United States Navy, joining the greatest generation as a Radarman Second Class USN, aboard the destroyer escort U.S.S. Leslie L. B. Knox, throughout the south pacific. Upon his honorable naval discharge he was one of the many veterans who gravitated to the educational benefits offered by the government and was accepted at Manhattan College where he graduated with honors with a Bachelor in Electrical Engineering degree, furthering his education at Columbia University with an MSEE, Rutgers University Labor Relations Program and Harvard Business School Marketing Management Program. He began his amazingly diverse career with International Telephone and Telegraph (ITT) as a Senior Engineer in NAVAIDS, where he designed ILS (instrument landing systems) and traveled to air force bases around the country to instruct personnel on their operation, (during which time he favored Texas locations, and became a reborn Texan, adopting a Stetson hat, Lucchese boots and bolo tie as his preferred dress). His outstanding field work recognized, he was transferred to ITT Federal Electric Corporation in Paramus New Jersey as an Engineering Administrator. Involved in the operation and maintenance of the Distance Early Warning (DEWLINE) and White Alice defense systems, he spent extensive periods of time in the arctic. It was during this time he met the Administrative Assistant to the Director of Engineering, Catherine (Kay) Daleo, and discovered opposites really do attract, and after a brief engagement they were married. He was then moved to the state of Washington as Engineering Manager for the TITAN Facility, overseeing the silo missile installations. Following his return to the east coast, and fluent in the German language, he became Project Manager for ITT U.S. NATO Communications Project, from Germany to Italy until completion. In 1966 he was then named Project Director of Logistics and Technical Information Support Services and an Apollo Member at The Manned Spacecraft Center, Houston, where he established his first Texas home in the small village of Friendswood. In 1973 he left Friendswood to assume the Project Manager of Instrumentation Support Services position at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. While in Florida, he was appointed Chairman of The United Way in Brevard County and also sponsored and was active with the Junior Achievement student group. During this time, he was visited by an Executive of the American Sterilizer Corporation, a leader in the hospital service industry, to consider leaving government service to assume the management of their service company. Always ready for new challenges, and after visiting their Erie Pennsylvania offices, he accepted their offer and began an illustrious career in the medical health field which included federal health care legislation and pioneering the use of personal computers. He also initiated an Associate Degree program in biotechnology at Edinboro State University. His experience with global affiliations played a large part in company expansion. After AMSCO was bought by The Steris Corporation he remained until his retirement in 1988 as Vice President of Service. He left Pennsylvania in 1992 and once again returned to Friendswood to establish what he referred to as his final frontier. With education always at the forefront, The Herbert F and Catherine C Hafenmaier School was established at Mercyhurst University, Erie Pennsylvania in 1995. His affiliations include Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, National Association of Service Managers, American Institute of Electrical Engineers, St Vincent Hospital Board of Corporators and American Association for Medical Instrumentation.

Herbert is survived by his wife of 59 years, Catherine (Kay), their three daughters Lisa Geronimo, Lynda (Hebert) Hafenmaier, Leslie Armstrong and husband David, son, Erich Hafenmaier and wife Dr Ann Marie Prazak. Grandsons Justin Geronimo, Michael Geronimo and wife Brooke, Matthew Geronimo and wife, Brittany, and granddaughter Julia (Geronimo) Bordelon and husband Mark. Granddaughters Christi Hebert and Courtney (Hebert) Wooldridge and husband Trent, and grandson, Dylan Hebert. Grandson David, and granddaughter Johanna Armstrong. Great grandchildren Emma Geronimo, Lucy Wooldridge, Oliver and Elliott Bordelon.

Friends are cordially invited to attend a visitation with the family on Wednesday, May 2, 2018 at 6:00 P.M. at Jeter Memorial Funeral Home, 311 N. Friendswood Dr., Friendswood, TX 77546, (281) 992-7200, with a Vigil Service at 7:00 P.M.

A Funeral Mass will be held on Thursday, May 3, 2018 at 10:00 A.M. at Mary Queen Catholic Church, 606 Cedarwood Dr., Friendswood, TX 77546, with Rev. James H. Kuczynski, M.S. officiating. Burial will follow at Mt. Olivet Catholic Cemetery, 7801 Gulf Freeway, Dickinson, TX 77539. Following the burial, attendees are invited to a luncheon at the Mary Queen Catholic Church banquet room.

Memorial donations may be made to Mercyhurst University c/o University Advancement and The Hafenmaier College of Humanities, Arts and Sciences, 501 East 38th Street, Erie PA 16546, Mary Queen Catholic Church or to a charity of one’s choice.

Condolences may be sent to the Hafenmaier family in care of Jeter Memorial Funeral Home at www.jeterfuneralhome.com.