Federico Gonzales

FEDERICO GONZALES July 16, 1921 - February 8, 2007 Born and raised in San Antonio, he attended St. Mary's University there. He joined the Army Air Corps in 1942 and became a B-17 pilot. He flew 25 missions and was shot down twice. The first time, First Lieutenant Gonzales was able to save his crew. The second time, January 23, 1945, the plane broke up in flight, and he fell 27,000 feet in the cockpit section-the only survivor. Severely injured, he was taken prisoner by the Germans. At the end of the war, he returned to San Antonio, where he married Anna Marie Mosher, and went back to school. He earned a PhD in biophysics in 1953. After working for the University of Texas and Baylor Medical School in Houston, Dr. Gonzales moved to Evanston, Illinois, and joined the faculty of Northwestern in 1963. He spent the rest of his career there, and became Professor Emeritus in 1986. The following year, he learned that he had actually been promoted to Captain and given the Distinguished Flying Cross during the war, but the records had been lost. In 1988, he was awarded those honors in a special ceremony that made international news. He is survived by his wife, seven sons, and 10 grandchildren. A memorial service will be held March 22 at 10 a.m. at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church at 600 Oblate Drive.