82R153 CBE-D

By: Bonnen H.R. No. 1035

R E S O L U T I O N

WHEREAS, Legendary aviation research scientist Dr. Leo Windecker of Cedar Park passed away on February 13, 2010, at the age of 88, and residents of Texas and beyond mourned his passing; and

WHEREAS, This remarkable man, who was born on July 9, 1921, in Gull Lake, Saskatchewan, grew up in Karnes City, where his father served as a pastor to the German-speaking communities in the area; demonstrating a fascination with aviation even as a teen, he and his brother began making parachutes out of their mother's tablecloths and launching small animals off the steeple of their father's church; and

WHEREAS, Leo Windecker served as a medic during World War II and received a commendation for discovering the cause of the amoebic dysentery that was plaguing troops in the South Pacific theater; after being discharged with a Purple Heart for injuries sustained in a Japanese bombing attack, he returned stateside and graduated from The University of Texas Dental School in Houston; he opened his first dental practice in Lake Jackson in 1948; and

WHEREAS, Still passionate about aviation, Dr. Windecker took his first flying lesson in 1956 and subsequently started experimenting with composite materials to make stronger and safer airplanes; he eventually closed his practice to concentrate full-time on aviation projects, and in 1960, he earned a research grant from the Dow Chemical Company in Freeport; that same year, his wife, Dr. Fairfax Moody Windecker, also closed her dental practice, and the two spent the rest of their careers on aerodynamic research; and

WHEREAS, The Windecker Eagle made its first flight in 1967 and won Federal Aviation Administration Certification two years later, setting a standard for all-composite aircraft; three Windecker Eagles are now housed in museums, including the Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy Center in Washington, D.C.; Dr. Windecker donated his personal Eagle, which he had flown throughout the United States and Canada, to the Lake Jackson Historical Museum, where it is displayed in the rotunda; and

WHEREAS, Based on his knowledge that radar passed through fiberglass composites, Dr. Windecker had another world-changing idea and proposed building a radar-invisible airplane for the U.S. Air Force; after two years of research and development, he delivered the YE-5 Stealth prototype in 1973; his company, Windecker Industries of Midland, also contracted with the military to design and build a remotely piloted vehicle for Lockheed Missiles and Space Company; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Windecker received 22 U.S. patents and many foreign patents for composite aircraft construction and is widely respected as an aviation pioneer; in 2003, he was inducted into the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame, and he has since been nominated for the National Aviation Hall of Fame; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Windecker's wife and longtime collaborator, Fairfax, passed away in 1990; fortunate enough to find love again, he married Julia Kay, and the couple enjoyed a wonderful retirement together, before settling in Cedar Park to be near family; and

WHEREAS, Through his extraordinary insights and inventions, Leo Windecker brought great honor to the Lone Star State, and he left behind an inspiring legacy that will continue to resonate for many years to come; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Dr. Leo Windecker and extend deepest sympathy to the members of his family: to his wife, Julia Windecker; to his sons, Moody "Skipper" Hamilton and his wife, Deni, Robert Windecker and his wife, Judy, Ted Windecker and his wife, Charlotte; to his "bonus" children, Dr. Charles "Chocky" Kay and his wife, Kathy, Linda Fulkerson and her husband, Skip, and Anne Hill; to his siblings, the Reverend Arnold Windecker, Dr. Roland Windecker, and Anita Windecker; to his six grandchildren, five "bonus" grandchildren, one great-grandson, and seven "bonus" great-grandchildren; and to his other relatives and friends; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Leo Windecker.