Alfred Koestel's Obituary
Alfred Koestel, born January 18, 1921, died October 25, 2014. “Always inquisitive, always learning”. Alfred was born in Germany and came to the United States with his family at a very young age. He attended Fenn College, Case Western Reserve University and Yale, achieving his Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. He taught thermodynamics at Case Western Reserve for 14 years, worked for TRW for 10 and did consulting work for General Electric, NASA, Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos Scientific Laboratories. Some of his more notable work was on hydrogen containment at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant, the SNAP (Small Nuclear Auxiliary Power) unit on the Voyager spacecraft now leaving our solar system, the F-15 fighter jet fuel pump and the World War II Manhattan Project. He served in the Army Air Corp/United States Air Force during World War II and Korea as an engineer (nuclear) and was honorably discharged as a First Lieutenant after many years of service. He was stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base where he worked in the Power Plant Laboratory. Alfred was a well respected and published scientist in his field and well liked by all he met. He moved to Southern Arizona from Ohio with his wife Lucille and son Mark in the mid-1960’s. After many years on the Buena Vista Ranch, upon the death of his wife, he re-married in the 1980’s and moved to Kino Springs. He will be interred at Evergreen Cemetery in Tucson, Arizona next to his wife of many years. He is survived by his wife, Ursula, his son, Mark and two granddaughters, Bonnie and Jennifer. Family requests donations be made to Hope Animal Shelter, 2011 East 12th Street, Tucson, AZ 85719. A graveside service will be held on Wednesday, October 29, 2014, 1PM at Evergreen Cemetery, Tucson, Arizona. Arrangements by EVERGREEN MORTUARY & CEMETERY.
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