William Henry Woebkenberg, Jr., 86,  died peacefully after a long illness on Thursday, September 5, 2019 at Jefferson Health Hospice in Warminster.

Dad was born on October 1, 1932 in Cincinnati, Ohio, the second of 3 children to William and Zita Woebkenberg.  Since being early for everything was one of Dad’s hallmarks, he graduated Purcell High School at age 15, and Xavier University at age 19.  Immediately afterwards, Dad served his country in the US Air Force and became one of the youngest navigator/bombardiers in the Strategic Air Command on the giant B-36.  After serving his country, he enrolled in Purdue University, earning his Bachelor’s Degree in Aeronautical Engineering in 1959. Dad then started a long and accomplished engineering career an aeronautical engineer at General Electric Astrospace Division in Valley Forge, as part of the team designing the film recovery system on project Corona.  He went on to work on many other satellite projects throughout his career at GE. But it was during that project in early 1960, Dad met his true love, Clare Vize, who was a flight attendant on one of his American Airlines flights to the desert southwest test sites.  Dad wasted no time in deciding that the wild Irish rose would be his wife and they wed in October 1961.

Mom and Dad settled first in Norristown, then Lansdale in 1963, later in Hatfield, where they raised 4 children — Valerie (Daniel) Godzieba of Lansdale, Pa, Andrea (James) Corbett of Maine, William (Celeste Zulczyk) of Canton, Michigan, and Liesl (Christopher) Moheimani of Homer, New York.  Since a strong Catholic faith was a large part of Dad’s being, Mom and he became members of St. Stanislaus Parish starting in 1963. As an expression of that faith, he sent his children to St. Stanislaus Elementary School and Lansdale Catholic High School.  Dad made sure his children would be successful by providing for college education, since nothing less than being your best was also deeply ingrained in his persona.

After retirement in 1993, Dad spent time with Mom showing love to his grandchildren – Kiersten, Daniel and Luke Godzieba; Ian, Shane, Kellan, Maddie and Hannah Corbett, Ryan, Dylan and Jacob Woebkenberg, and Arielle, Samuel, Zane and Clare Moheimani. Love meant the obligatory Sunday breakfast after early Mass, summer barbeques, holiday feasts, all cooked by Dad.

At any given time at home, Dad could be found at the kitchen table reading Scientific American, National Geographic or completing all sorts of word games and crossword puzzles. When not at home in Hatfield, Dad and Mom travelled to see their grandchildren, showing them that family is the most important thing in life.

When the years caught up with Dad and Mom, their oldest daughter Valerie opened her home to have them live with her family.
Val and her family cared for Dad and Mom for many years and made sure their remaining years together were as comfortable as possible.

In addition to his children, their spouses and grandchildren, Dad is survived by many nieces and nephews in both Ireland and the U.S. – in particular his sister Angela’s daughter, Denise Schmitt, of Waunakee, Wisconsin, as well as his brother Tom’s wife, Kay and their children, Thomas Woebkenberg and Kitty Reuther, both of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Dad is predeceased by his wife Clare, who died in 2017, as well by his parents, his siblings – older sister Angela, younger brother Tom, and his son Patrick.

The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, September 14, 2019, 10.30 am at St. Stanislaus Roman Catholic Church, 51 Lansdale Ave., Lansdale. Friends and family are invited to call from 9.30-10.30 prior to the Mass at the church.  Interment will be private at a later date.  Arrangements are by Simcox-McIlvaine Funeral Home. www.simcoxmcilvainefuneralhome.com

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to Abington Health Foundation https://www.abingtonhealth.org/WaysOfGiving/ which benefits Jefferson Health Hospice at Warminster, and to St. Stanislaus Parish, all of which are deeply appreciated.