William Ladew Berry
(December 9, 1909 - December 19, 2004)
William L. Berry, an electrical engineer and project engineer on Howard Hughes' famous "Spruce Goose" flying boat, died Sunday, December 19, 2004, in Camarillo, California, of complications after hip surgery in November. He was 95.
Berry was born December 7, 1909 to Mabel and Hiram Berry in New York City. He moved to Los Angeles in 1928 and graduated from Cal Tech in 1932 with a Bachelors Degree in Electrical Engineering and a Masters Degree in 1933. Berry began his professional career as a film sound engineer for Warner Bros. Pictures in Burbank from 1933 to 1938. After working for Douglas Aircraft for two years he went to work for Hughes Aircraft Company in 1940. As an electrical engineer at Hughes for thirty plus years he published many engineering works and his responsibilities grew to "Spruce Goose" Project Engineer, Space Systems Director, Chairman of Missile Systems Division, Aerospace Group Engineering Manager, and Corporate Zero Defects Program Manager among other titles. He was fortunate to be on the historic flight of Hughes' flying boat on November 2, 1947. After retirement in 1974 Berry continued his relationship with Hughes signing on with the Summa Corp. for a two year period during Howard Hughes' residency in the Bahamas to design and contract the construction of three fishing vessels in the Bahamas and a fish freezing plant in Key West, Florida. In 1976, again for Howard and the Summa Corp., he served as General Manager of the private section of the McCarran Airport in Las Vegas until his full retirement in 1978.
Berry lost his first wife, Esther Simandy, at childbirth in 1937. He later met Clara Mustad in Pasadena and married August 24, 1940. They had their first son, Jan, on April 3, 1941, who later became a musical partner in the famed surf group Jan & Dean.
Berry leaves his wife of 64 years, Clara, and six surviving of ten children - Luana, Ken, Brian, Aleta, Billy, and Melissa and six grandchildren, three great grandchildren, and two great-great grandchildren. A memorial service is being held 2 PM Sunday, December 26, at SIR's facility at 6465 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood.
~Published by Los Angeles Times on Dec. 23, 2004.
(December 9, 1909 - December 19, 2004)
William L. Berry, an electrical engineer and project engineer on Howard Hughes' famous "Spruce Goose" flying boat, died Sunday, December 19, 2004, in Camarillo, California, of complications after hip surgery in November. He was 95.
Berry was born December 7, 1909 to Mabel and Hiram Berry in New York City. He moved to Los Angeles in 1928 and graduated from Cal Tech in 1932 with a Bachelors Degree in Electrical Engineering and a Masters Degree in 1933. Berry began his professional career as a film sound engineer for Warner Bros. Pictures in Burbank from 1933 to 1938. After working for Douglas Aircraft for two years he went to work for Hughes Aircraft Company in 1940. As an electrical engineer at Hughes for thirty plus years he published many engineering works and his responsibilities grew to "Spruce Goose" Project Engineer, Space Systems Director, Chairman of Missile Systems Division, Aerospace Group Engineering Manager, and Corporate Zero Defects Program Manager among other titles. He was fortunate to be on the historic flight of Hughes' flying boat on November 2, 1947. After retirement in 1974 Berry continued his relationship with Hughes signing on with the Summa Corp. for a two year period during Howard Hughes' residency in the Bahamas to design and contract the construction of three fishing vessels in the Bahamas and a fish freezing plant in Key West, Florida. In 1976, again for Howard and the Summa Corp., he served as General Manager of the private section of the McCarran Airport in Las Vegas until his full retirement in 1978.
Berry lost his first wife, Esther Simandy, at childbirth in 1937. He later met Clara Mustad in Pasadena and married August 24, 1940. They had their first son, Jan, on April 3, 1941, who later became a musical partner in the famed surf group Jan & Dean.
Berry leaves his wife of 64 years, Clara, and six surviving of ten children - Luana, Ken, Brian, Aleta, Billy, and Melissa and six grandchildren, three great grandchildren, and two great-great grandchildren. A memorial service is being held 2 PM Sunday, December 26, at SIR's facility at 6465 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood.
~Published by Los Angeles Times on Dec. 23, 2004.
William Ladew Berry
(December 9, 1909 - December 19, 2004)
William L. Berry, an electrical engineer and project engineer on Howard Hughes' famous "Spruce Goose" flying boat, died Sunday, December 19, 2004, in Camarillo, California, of complications after hip surgery in November. He was 95.
Berry was born December 7, 1909 to Mabel and Hiram Berry in New York City. He moved to Los Angeles in 1928 and graduated from Cal Tech in 1932 with a Bachelors Degree in Electrical Engineering and a Masters Degree in 1933. Berry began his professional career as a film sound engineer for Warner Bros. Pictures in Burbank from 1933 to 1938. After working for Douglas Aircraft for two years he went to work for Hughes Aircraft Company in 1940. As an electrical engineer at Hughes for thirty plus years he published many engineering works and his responsibilities grew to "Spruce Goose" Project Engineer, Space Systems Director, Chairman of Missile Systems Division, Aerospace Group Engineering Manager, and Corporate Zero Defects Program Manager among other titles. He was fortunate to be on the historic flight of Hughes' flying boat on November 2, 1947. After retirement in 1974 Berry continued his relationship with Hughes signing on with the Summa Corp. for a two year period during Howard Hughes' residency in the Bahamas to design and contract the construction of three fishing vessels in the Bahamas and a fish freezing plant in Key West, Florida. In 1976, again for Howard and the Summa Corp., he served as General Manager of the private section of the McCarran Airport in Las Vegas until his full retirement in 1978.
Berry lost his first wife, Esther Simandy, at childbirth in 1937. He later met Clara Mustad in Pasadena and married August 24, 1940. They had their first son, Jan, on April 3, 1941, who later became a musical partner in the famed surf group Jan & Dean.
Berry leaves his wife of 64 years, Clara, and six surviving of ten children - Luana, Ken, Brian, Aleta, Billy, and Melissa and six grandchildren, three great grandchildren, and two great-great grandchildren. A memorial service is being held 2 PM Sunday, December 26, at SIR's facility at 6465 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood.
~Published by Los Angeles Times on Dec. 23, 2004.
(December 9, 1909 - December 19, 2004)
William L. Berry, an electrical engineer and project engineer on Howard Hughes' famous "Spruce Goose" flying boat, died Sunday, December 19, 2004, in Camarillo, California, of complications after hip surgery in November. He was 95.
Berry was born December 7, 1909 to Mabel and Hiram Berry in New York City. He moved to Los Angeles in 1928 and graduated from Cal Tech in 1932 with a Bachelors Degree in Electrical Engineering and a Masters Degree in 1933. Berry began his professional career as a film sound engineer for Warner Bros. Pictures in Burbank from 1933 to 1938. After working for Douglas Aircraft for two years he went to work for Hughes Aircraft Company in 1940. As an electrical engineer at Hughes for thirty plus years he published many engineering works and his responsibilities grew to "Spruce Goose" Project Engineer, Space Systems Director, Chairman of Missile Systems Division, Aerospace Group Engineering Manager, and Corporate Zero Defects Program Manager among other titles. He was fortunate to be on the historic flight of Hughes' flying boat on November 2, 1947. After retirement in 1974 Berry continued his relationship with Hughes signing on with the Summa Corp. for a two year period during Howard Hughes' residency in the Bahamas to design and contract the construction of three fishing vessels in the Bahamas and a fish freezing plant in Key West, Florida. In 1976, again for Howard and the Summa Corp., he served as General Manager of the private section of the McCarran Airport in Las Vegas until his full retirement in 1978.
Berry lost his first wife, Esther Simandy, at childbirth in 1937. He later met Clara Mustad in Pasadena and married August 24, 1940. They had their first son, Jan, on April 3, 1941, who later became a musical partner in the famed surf group Jan & Dean.
Berry leaves his wife of 64 years, Clara, and six surviving of ten children - Luana, Ken, Brian, Aleta, Billy, and Melissa and six grandchildren, three great grandchildren, and two great-great grandchildren. A memorial service is being held 2 PM Sunday, December 26, at SIR's facility at 6465 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood.
~Published by Los Angeles Times on Dec. 23, 2004.
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