Harry James Hillaker, 89, father of the F-16 Fighting Falcon, died peacefully at home Sunday, Feb. 8, 2009, with his wife, Betty J. Hillaker, holding his hand and surrounded by 29 family members.
Harry was born May 9, 1919, in Flint, Mich. A graduate of Flint Northern High School, he studied aeronautical engineering at the University of Michigan. He began working for Consolidated Aircraft (later General Dynamics) in San Diego in 1941 as a draftsman/design engineer. In 1942 he was transferred to the company's newly established Fort Worth division, where he was involved in the preliminary and advanced design of every major aircraft produced until his retirement in 1985. He married Betty Jo Devaney of Fort Worth on Oct. 2, 1943, and they raised six children.
To the world, Mr. Hillaker will be remembered mainly as an aeronautical engineer. He was one of the main members of the "Fighter Mafia" that conceived and developed the F-16, and he led the design team at General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) for the innovative lightweight fighter jet. He was the chief project engineer for the advanced versions of the F-16 and became vice president and deputy program director for the F-16 XL in 1980. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1990 and served two terms as chairman of the aerospace vehicles panel of the U.S. Air Force's Scientific Advisory Board.
To his friends and family, Mr. Hillaker will be remembered as a warm, friendly, kind and generous man with sparkling blue eyes, bushy eyebrows and a keen sense of humor. He was known to his family as Daddy-O. He loved golfing and traveling, and his close-knit family remained the most important thing in the world to him.
Survivors include his beautiful bride of 65 years, Betty; son-in-law, Dillon McDaniel of Albuquerque, N.M.; daughter, Victoria Harrell and husband, Howard, of Conroe; daughter, Deborah Currier and husband, Phil, of Del Mar, Calif.; son, Eric Hillaker and wife, Susan, of Fort Worth; daughter, Missy Gillespie and husband, Jack, of Fort Worth; son, Harry Hillaker Jr. and wife, Michele, of Des Moines, Iowa; 27 grandchildren; 16 spouses of grandchildren; 32 great-grandchildren; and brother, John Hillaker of Fort Worth.
Mr. Hillaker was preceded in death by his eldest daughter Stephanie Hillaker McDaniel of Albuquerque, NM. The family requests that as a memorial to him donations may be made to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (www.ocrf.org) to support research for a cure of the ovarian cancer that lead to her untimely death.
Harry was born May 9, 1919, in Flint, Mich. A graduate of Flint Northern High School, he studied aeronautical engineering at the University of Michigan. He began working for Consolidated Aircraft (later General Dynamics) in San Diego in 1941 as a draftsman/design engineer. In 1942 he was transferred to the company's newly established Fort Worth division, where he was involved in the preliminary and advanced design of every major aircraft produced until his retirement in 1985. He married Betty Jo Devaney of Fort Worth on Oct. 2, 1943, and they raised six children.
To the world, Mr. Hillaker will be remembered mainly as an aeronautical engineer. He was one of the main members of the "Fighter Mafia" that conceived and developed the F-16, and he led the design team at General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) for the innovative lightweight fighter jet. He was the chief project engineer for the advanced versions of the F-16 and became vice president and deputy program director for the F-16 XL in 1980. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1990 and served two terms as chairman of the aerospace vehicles panel of the U.S. Air Force's Scientific Advisory Board.
To his friends and family, Mr. Hillaker will be remembered as a warm, friendly, kind and generous man with sparkling blue eyes, bushy eyebrows and a keen sense of humor. He was known to his family as Daddy-O. He loved golfing and traveling, and his close-knit family remained the most important thing in the world to him.
Survivors include his beautiful bride of 65 years, Betty; son-in-law, Dillon McDaniel of Albuquerque, N.M.; daughter, Victoria Harrell and husband, Howard, of Conroe; daughter, Deborah Currier and husband, Phil, of Del Mar, Calif.; son, Eric Hillaker and wife, Susan, of Fort Worth; daughter, Missy Gillespie and husband, Jack, of Fort Worth; son, Harry Hillaker Jr. and wife, Michele, of Des Moines, Iowa; 27 grandchildren; 16 spouses of grandchildren; 32 great-grandchildren; and brother, John Hillaker of Fort Worth.
Mr. Hillaker was preceded in death by his eldest daughter Stephanie Hillaker McDaniel of Albuquerque, NM. The family requests that as a memorial to him donations may be made to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (www.ocrf.org) to support research for a cure of the ovarian cancer that lead to her untimely death.
Harry James Hillaker, 89, father of the F-16 Fighting Falcon, died peacefully at home Sunday, Feb. 8, 2009, with his wife, Betty J. Hillaker, holding his hand and surrounded by 29 family members.
Harry was born May 9, 1919, in Flint, Mich. A graduate of Flint Northern High School, he studied aeronautical engineering at the University of Michigan. He began working for Consolidated Aircraft (later General Dynamics) in San Diego in 1941 as a draftsman/design engineer. In 1942 he was transferred to the company's newly established Fort Worth division, where he was involved in the preliminary and advanced design of every major aircraft produced until his retirement in 1985. He married Betty Jo Devaney of Fort Worth on Oct. 2, 1943, and they raised six children.
To the world, Mr. Hillaker will be remembered mainly as an aeronautical engineer. He was one of the main members of the "Fighter Mafia" that conceived and developed the F-16, and he led the design team at General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) for the innovative lightweight fighter jet. He was the chief project engineer for the advanced versions of the F-16 and became vice president and deputy program director for the F-16 XL in 1980. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1990 and served two terms as chairman of the aerospace vehicles panel of the U.S. Air Force's Scientific Advisory Board.
To his friends and family, Mr. Hillaker will be remembered as a warm, friendly, kind and generous man with sparkling blue eyes, bushy eyebrows and a keen sense of humor. He was known to his family as Daddy-O. He loved golfing and traveling, and his close-knit family remained the most important thing in the world to him.
Survivors include his beautiful bride of 65 years, Betty; son-in-law, Dillon McDaniel of Albuquerque, N.M.; daughter, Victoria Harrell and husband, Howard, of Conroe; daughter, Deborah Currier and husband, Phil, of Del Mar, Calif.; son, Eric Hillaker and wife, Susan, of Fort Worth; daughter, Missy Gillespie and husband, Jack, of Fort Worth; son, Harry Hillaker Jr. and wife, Michele, of Des Moines, Iowa; 27 grandchildren; 16 spouses of grandchildren; 32 great-grandchildren; and brother, John Hillaker of Fort Worth.
Mr. Hillaker was preceded in death by his eldest daughter Stephanie Hillaker McDaniel of Albuquerque, NM. The family requests that as a memorial to him donations may be made to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (www.ocrf.org) to support research for a cure of the ovarian cancer that lead to her untimely death.
Harry was born May 9, 1919, in Flint, Mich. A graduate of Flint Northern High School, he studied aeronautical engineering at the University of Michigan. He began working for Consolidated Aircraft (later General Dynamics) in San Diego in 1941 as a draftsman/design engineer. In 1942 he was transferred to the company's newly established Fort Worth division, where he was involved in the preliminary and advanced design of every major aircraft produced until his retirement in 1985. He married Betty Jo Devaney of Fort Worth on Oct. 2, 1943, and they raised six children.
To the world, Mr. Hillaker will be remembered mainly as an aeronautical engineer. He was one of the main members of the "Fighter Mafia" that conceived and developed the F-16, and he led the design team at General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) for the innovative lightweight fighter jet. He was the chief project engineer for the advanced versions of the F-16 and became vice president and deputy program director for the F-16 XL in 1980. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1990 and served two terms as chairman of the aerospace vehicles panel of the U.S. Air Force's Scientific Advisory Board.
To his friends and family, Mr. Hillaker will be remembered as a warm, friendly, kind and generous man with sparkling blue eyes, bushy eyebrows and a keen sense of humor. He was known to his family as Daddy-O. He loved golfing and traveling, and his close-knit family remained the most important thing in the world to him.
Survivors include his beautiful bride of 65 years, Betty; son-in-law, Dillon McDaniel of Albuquerque, N.M.; daughter, Victoria Harrell and husband, Howard, of Conroe; daughter, Deborah Currier and husband, Phil, of Del Mar, Calif.; son, Eric Hillaker and wife, Susan, of Fort Worth; daughter, Missy Gillespie and husband, Jack, of Fort Worth; son, Harry Hillaker Jr. and wife, Michele, of Des Moines, Iowa; 27 grandchildren; 16 spouses of grandchildren; 32 great-grandchildren; and brother, John Hillaker of Fort Worth.
Mr. Hillaker was preceded in death by his eldest daughter Stephanie Hillaker McDaniel of Albuquerque, NM. The family requests that as a memorial to him donations may be made to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (www.ocrf.org) to support research for a cure of the ovarian cancer that lead to her untimely death.
