William Elton Feddersen

William Elton Feddersen was born on July 25, 1925 in Galveston, Texas and raised in La Marque, Texas through his high school years. A fervent Texas longhorn, he attended the University of Texas in Austin, earning his Bachelors ‘50, Masters ‘51, and Ph.D. in Psychology in 1953. During his 10 years at the university, he both served as a researcher and as an adjunct professor.

He moved from Austin to Fort Worth to take a position with Bell Helicopter working on research in human/flight initiatives. While there, he met the love of his life, Betty Sue Chapman, who became his wife on April 24, 1957. They led an adventurous life in Fort Worth, both becoming pilots while there, and enjoying their newly married life.

In 1961, Bill and Betty Sue were recruited to Houston to join the newly opening Johnson Space Center. At NASA, Bill performed early research in long duration human spaceflight factors, serving on teams designing spacesuits and helmets for manned missions. He served for 25 years at the Johnson Space Center before his retirement.

Bill was a devoted boater and fisherman, spending time on his beloved boats over the years with friends and family. He was also an avid animal advocate and rescuer with Betty, raising many beloved dogs and cats, supporting rescue agencies, and serving as rehabbers themselves for community squirrels and other small animals. They also loved their international travel touring Europe, Russia, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

After a rich 100 years of life and 68 years married to his sweet Betty Sue, William died peacefully at home surrounded by family and friends after a brief illness on December 16, 2025.

A visitation will be held on Monday, December 22, 2025, from 1:30 pm to 2:00 pm at Forest Park East Funeral Home, located at 21620 Gulf Freeway in Webster, Texas. The funeral service to follow, beginning at 2:00 pm.