HAVEKOTTE, BYRON L., 88, died Friday, July 13, 2018, in Rockledge, FL. Byron was born in Tampa, FL, and had resided on Merritt Island, FL since 1968. He was a 1947 graduate of Plant High School in Tampa. Byron joined the U.S. Air Force in 1947 and while stationed at MacDill AFB in Tampa and the Panama Canal Zone, he served as an sea rescue flight crew member. Throughout the 1950/60's, Byron was stationed at several Air Force bases around the country and Puerto Rico. While stationed at Grand Forks AFB, ND, he worked on the Hound Dog supersonic cruise missile as a Guidance and Control Mechanic-Specialist. Byron retired from the Air Force in 1968 after 21 years and moved back to Florida. He worked at McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Co. in Titusville for more than 10 years as a Quality Control inspector for the Army's Dragon hand-held Missile launcher. Byron's aerospace career at Cape Canaveral AFS started in 1979 as a Communications and Electronics technician with Pan Am, EG&G, and ended with CSR, spanning nearly 16 years before his retirement in 1995. Byron loved to travel so during his retirement years, he became an avid cruiser. He is survived by sons Michael, his wife Nancy and their daughter Holly, all of the Orlando area; Ken and his wife Theresa of Merritt Island; daughter Karen Horner, her husband Stephen and their son Matthew, all of Merritt Island. His loving wife Dorothy, preceded him in death. Visitation will be at 9 am on Friday, July 20, followed by services at 10 am at the Brevard Memorial Funeral Home, 5475 North U.S. Hwy 1, Cocoa, FL 32927 with Pastor Richard Fuller from the First Baptist Church of Merritt Island officiating. Entombment will follow at the Cape Canaveral National Cemetery, 5525 U.S. Hwy 1, Mims, FL 32754. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Wuesthoff Health System Brevard Hospice, 661 Eyster Blvd., Rockledge, FL 32955.
