Terrence Leo Foley

This April, the Foley family lost their patriarch and loving father and grandfather, Terrence "Terry" Foley. Terry passed away peacefully in his sleep at his daughter's home in Laguna Niguel, Calif., from age related illness and was surrounded by his family. He was 89 years old.

Terry was born in 1933 in Scranton, the son of the late Robert and Dolores Foley, and was a graduate of Scranton Central High School, class of 1952. He joined the United States Navy during the Korean War and served his country as a radioman and Morse code operator. Following honorable discharge, he settled in Los Angeles, Calif., where he enrolled in university and earned his BS degree from UCLA and master's degree in aerospace engineering from USC.

Professionally, he became a structural design engineer in the U.S. space program where was one of the designers of the Space Shuttle, Apollo Capsule, Spartan Missile, Saturn V booster and several aircrafts, including the MD-11. In the 1970s, he switched to the profession of teaching and spent the next 40 years as an engineering professor at several local universities. He loved teaching young people how to be the future engineers in the industry.

Personally, Terry provided a loving and stable home life for his three daughters. He bought a small horse ranch in Norco, Calif., where they relocated and were able to own their own horses and make so many cherished childhood memories. He also became a very dedicated grandfather who loved spending time with his grandchildren.

Terry is survived by his three daughters, Frances, Catherine and Michele; his sons-in-law, Les and Joshua; his grandson, Danny; his stepgrandchildren, Billy, Joshua, Daisy, Lilly and Jack; the mother of his children, Wanda; and his brother, Jason (formerly known as Paul).

A memorial service will be held at the Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, Calif., at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, May 13, 2022. A reception service will be held immediately afterwards at Las Campanas Restaurant, located within the historic Mission Inn Hotel & Spa, Riverside, Calif.