Joseph Papa Joe Paul Siegfried

Joseph Paul Siegfried slipped the confines of this earth to be with his Heavenly Father on August 23, 2014. Affectionately known as Papa Joe, his rosary beads were always close at hand. The sixth of eleven children, he was born on January 30, 1920 in Melrose Park (Philadelphia), Pennsylvania to John and Flora Siegfried. Joe earned a diploma in mechanical drawing from Spring Garden Institute while apprenticing as a machinist. He married his sweetheart Rita Marie Robinson on May 26, 1945 while on leave from boot camp. Joe's Naval training in Basic Engineering School led to a position with the NACA Space Task Group at Langley Air Force Base, VA, and the start to a 35 year career with NASA. Joe and Rita moved their family of four children to Houston in 1962.

He served as Section Head of NASA’s Instrument Machine Shop until his retirement. Rita died of breast cancer in 1962 leaving Joe to continue the challenging mission of raising their four children. Joe taught the kids how to cook and clean -- running 'a tight ship' with high expectations along with lots of love, support and encouragement -- and always an open door and table for the children’s friends.

In 1971 Joe married his later love, Dorothy Jean Cotton Bonney. They retired in 1979 to Rayburn Country in East Texas. Joe enjoyed golf, stained glass design and volunteering for the local fire department. Joe said “My career with NASA was the most exciting that a man could ask for. Every space flight that was launched had something aboard that was made in our shop or that we developed.” Joe’s NASA career spanned the initial, unmanned satellites through the early Space Shuttle program. In retirement, he shared this career with NASA by speaking at local schools.

Joe was preceded in death by his two wives, Rita and Dorothy and is survived by his children, Dan Siegfried (Katy), Steve Siegfried (April), Cynthia Day (Dwayne), James Siegfried (Virginia) and step-children, Douglas Bonney (Myra), and Barbara Bonney, a brother Bob Siegfried (Dot) and a sister Helen Merkh (Charlie). He has 18 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren.

The celebratory Funeral Mass will be held at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, 6800 Buffalo Speedway, Houston, Texas, 77025, at noon, Saturday, September 6, 2014, followed by inurnment at Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery, 6900 Lawndale, at 3:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Joe’s name to Pathway Hospice in Fort Collins, Colorado (www.pathways-care.org) or to St Vincent de Paul Catholic Church.