William Khendale Greathouse
- Born: 20 Dec 1924, Sutton, Braxton County, West Virginia
- Marriage: Jessie Lee Greene on 27 Jun 1945 in Detroit, Michigan
- Died: 13 Sep 1998, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania at age 73
 Notes:
Here is a copy of the obituary that we prepared:
"William K. Greathouse, 73, of Gettysburg, PA died Sunday, 13
September 1998, at home in his sleep.
Born in Sutton, WV, he was the only child of Asa Carl Greathouse and
Myrtle Jeanette Greathouse (nee Diggins). He is survived by four
children, William Gary Greathouse of Reston, VA; Susan Jane Davis of
Fort Collins, CO; Kathy Jean Greathouse of Jackson Heights, NY; and
Christina Lee Greathouse of Fairfax, VA. In addition to his four
children, seven grandchildren, and one great-grandson survive him.
During World War II, he served in the US Navy aboard LST 307, and saw
action during amphibious assaults in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, and
Normandy (Omaha and Sword Beaches) during the D-Day invasion. After
the War, he attended West Virginia Institute of Technology and the
University of Kentucky, where he earned a Masters of Science in
Mechanical Engineering. At NACA (which later became NASA), he
established his name in the aerospace industry by publishing 12
research reports that are still used throughout the world today to
design jet engine exhaust systems. In 1956, he went to work for
Grumman Aerospace, and rose to the position of Chief Propulsion
Engineer. At Grumman, he helped design aircraft and spacecraft
including the LEM (Lunar Excursion Module) and the F-14 Tomcat. In
1979, he was awarded a patent for a thrust reverse nozzle for turbofan
jet engines, and was named the Grumman Engineer of the Year. He
retired from Grumman in 1989, and remained extremely active with his
family, model airplanes, traveling, hunting, genealogy, and surfing
the Internet.
Funeral services will be held at 10:00am on Saturday, 19 September
1998 in the Robertson-Greene Funeral Home in Sutton, WV. He will be
interred in Sutton Cemetery next to Jessie Lee Greathouse (nee
Greene), his wife of 51 years who predeceased him by just over two
years. Friends may call from 6:00pm to 9:00pm, Friday, 18 September
1998 at the Robertson-Greene Funeral Home.
Monahan Funeral Home in Gettysburg is in charge of local
arrangements."
Regretfully, Gary
William married Jessie Lee Greene on 27 Jun 1945 in Detroit, Michigan. (Jessie Lee Greene died about 1996.)
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