Diocesan leader George Komechak, 78, retired engineer, and former manager of Special Projects at Lockheed Martin, died at his home in west Fort Worth on Saturday, August 8, 2015.
A memorial service will be Friday, August 14, at 10:30 am at Trinity Episcopal Church, 3401 Bellaire Drive South, Fort Worth, TX, 76109. The Rev. Carlye Hughes, rector, will officiate.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in George’s memory to Episcopal Relief and Development, or the American Cancer Society.
George was born November 17, 1936, in Gary, Indiana, to George and Helen (Basinski) Komechak. He graduated as salutatorian of his class at Crown Point, Indiana, High School in 1954. He received a degree in aeronautical engineering from Purdue University in 1958, and was a member of Sigma Gamma Tau national aeronautical engineering honorary fraternity. At Purdue he met his future wife, Marilyn Burnadean Gilbert, who also graduated in 1958.
After their graduation and George’s receiving a commission in the U. S. Army, George and Marilyn were married in Marilyn’s home town of Wabash, Indiana. George served on active duty for three years and was a guided missile staff officer working on rocket and missile research and development at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. He joined General Dynamics in 1961, later Lockheed Martin, where he worked until his retirement in 1997. While working at General Dynamics, he earned a Master of Business Administration from TCU in 1968. During his career at General Dynamics/Lockheed Martin he worked on the B-58, RB-57F, F-11, and F-16 programs, and a number of Special Projects aircraft and systems.
He and his wife were charter members of Holy Apostles Episcopal Church which was established in 1964. He served as vestryman, warden, lay Eucharistic minister, and was the chairman of the church’s building program. George also devoted time to the American Cancer Society. He served as a chairman of the Fort Worth residential fund-raising crusade and also served for a time as a member of the board of directors. He was a recipient of the ACS Sword of Hope Award.
After his retirement, George enjoyed playing golf and tennis; doing genealogy research, gardening, and watching his grandsons grow. He also continued his church involvement, serving as chairman of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth Committee on Constitution and Canons. He played a pivotal role in the reorganization of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth in 2009, serving as president of Fort Worth Via Media and as a member of the Steering Committee North Texas Episcopalians.
He was preceded in death by his parents and step-father, George Bendzsa.
He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Marilyn Gilbert Komechak, daughter, Kimberly A. Komechak (fiancée Teresa G. Murphy) of Pawtucket, Rhode Island; son, Gilbert M. Komechak (Karen Kearney-Komechak) of Ozona, Texas; two grandsons, Matthew Komechak (Jayme Begnaud Komechak) and Russell Komechak (fiancée Kelsey Wilcox), and great-grandson T. J. Komechak.