Jerel Dean Torchia

Jerry Torchia was born Feb 7, 1948 to Valerie and Bob Torchia in Los Angeles, CA. He was in the Coast Guard from 1969-1973 where he served in Vietnam. He also lived in Ketchikan, Alaska and served as a firefighter and electrician for the Coast Guard. In 1976, he and his wife, Becky, moved from Los Angeles to San Luis Obispo so Jerry could attend Cal Poly. He graduated Cal Poly with a mathematics and an electrical engineering degree.

He worked for almost 30 years at Lockheed Martin at Vandenberg Space Force base near Lompoc as an electrical engineer. He worked on the Space Shuttle, Titan and Athena rockets, and various other NASA and NRO space projects. He suffered from many health problems, including Parkinson's, due to Agent Orange exposure in Vietnam. He died August 10, 2026 of a heart attack at French Hospital. He is survived by his wife, Becky, his children Bill and Julie, and his two grandchildren Eric and Will Torchia. He was a member of Old Mission Church, and he will be remembered for his great love of fishing and owning a boat, and his kindness and generosity to others.