Godofredo's Obituary

Godofredo de Venecia, Jr. was born in Davao City, Philippines 1930.  He was the second son of Dr. Godofredo S. Cirineo and Florencia M. de Venecia.  Fred earned his B.S. degree in Aeronautical Engineering in 1954 from FEATI Institute of Technology in Manila and was also commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Philippine Air Force.

Fred came to the U.S. in 1954 after he was accepted at Purdue University in Indiana where he majored in Jet Propulsion and earned his M.S. degree in Aeronautical Engineering in 1956.  After graduation, he worked as a propulsion engineer on the Air Force T-37 aircraft program at Cessna Aircraft Co. in Wichita, Kansas.  In 1958, Fred was offered a position as a performance staff engineer with the Boeing Commercial Airplane Division in Seattle, where he worked for 37 years.  He was primarily involved in early airplane development, wind tunnel model testing, full scale engine ground and flight testing on the 707, 727, 757, 747, and 777 transports.  He was also appointed as an FAA DER and was involved in the certifications of the 757 and 777 aircraft.

As a diversion from his work on airplanes, in 1963 Fred worked on the Saturn V moon rocket engine program with Boeing.  In 1965 he resumed working on the Boeing transport system.

Fred retired from Boeing in 1995.  As his retirement schedule permitted, he continued to work in his field of expertise as an consultant to Rohr, Boeing, GE and Quiet Technology Aerospace.  Fred also loved to tinker on the various cars he brought home, play tennis, yard projects and recently helping a friend build a ‘tree house’. In addition to his fulfilling professional career, Fred had a rewarding family life.  Back in 1956, while in Wichita, he met Mary M. Hasler, a young, pretty nursing student at St. Francis Hospital.  In 1957, they married in Enid, Oklahoma and shortly after moved to the Seattle area.   

Fred passed away peacefully on November 14, 2012, at home with family near his side.  He is survived by his wife, 3 daughters, 7 sons, and 27 grandchildren.

Funeral Service and Mass will be held at St. Alphonsus Church, 5816 15th Ave NW, Seattle 98107 on November 16 at 10am.  Burial Service will follow at Holyrood Cemetery, 205 NE St, Shoreline 98155; Section L.