Alfred John German

Al, or “Big Al” as he liked to be known as, was born in New York, New York, in the Bronx on September 18, 1928 and graduated from Hicksville High School on Long Island. Al entered the Army Air Force in 1946 where he hoped to pursue his love for aviation which had begun in High School while watching newsreels of World War II aerial combat. He left full-time service in 1949 to study engineering at Georgia Tech on the G.I. bill. While at school, Al met his wife, Lee at a local YWCA dance and was immediately smitten. He told her on their first date that he planned to marry her. Al and Lee were happily married for 50 years before her passing in 2004.

After marrying Lee in 1953, they traveled across the country to Long Beach where Al took employment at the Douglas Aircraft Company. His career spanned over thirty years and included many successful aircraft and spaceflight projects. His family followed him back and forth across the country while he was stationed at both Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg Air Force Base during the THOR missile development. When he was finally able to settle for good in Costa Mesa, Al became involved in community service through his church and youth baseball, and also found time to get his private pilot’s license. He retired from McDonnell Douglas at age 56 with a career-full of accomplishments.

Al enjoyed a second career of over 20 years that peaked when he was chief flight instructor at Orange County Flight Center located at John Wayne Airport. He was also instrumental in guiding the Airspace Working Group for the Los Angeles basin as the AOPA representative making all of our flying safer after the tragic mid-air collision over Cerritos in 1986. At the working group and around the community he was affectionately known as "Airspace Al." http://www.scauwg.org/scauwg/background.html.

Al found great joy in sharing his love for flying with his children and grand children by teaching as many of them how to fly as were willing and interested. Al also made visits to schools in the hope of inspiring children of all ages to pursue careers in aviation. The family requests that memorial donations be made to:

Tomorrow's Aeronautical Museum (TAM)

961 W. Alondra Blvd., Compton, CA 90220

310.618.1155

www.TAMuseum.org

Please make checks payable to TAM and a note in the memo line that donations are to the Al German Memorial Fund.

Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum (TAM). TAM operates a non-profit flight academy and a robust after school program that engages youth by providing them with dynamic opportunities and resources in aviation, integrating STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) as an alternative to drugs, gangs, violence, and other self-destructive activities. Al’s loving legacy will live on as TAM brings aviation related opportunities to deserving young people.

Al is survived by his three children (and each of their spouses, twelve grandchildren (three are married), and one great-grand daughter. Al’s only brother, Ronald passed away a few years ago.

Services are to be held at The Presbyterian Church of the Covenant, 2850 Fairview Rd Costa Mesa, CA 92626 (714) 557-3340 on Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 2:00 PM.