1928
George
2012
George Arnold Bigenho
December 5, 1928 — August 22, 2012
December 5th, 1928-August 22, 2012
George Arnold Bigenho was born December 5th, 1928, in Los Angeles, California, to George Wilhelm Bigenho and Marguerite Stockton Estep. He attended State Street Elementary School, Lake Elsinore Military Academy and South Gate High School, where he graduated in 1947.
He met future wife Doris Clara Thacker at Alcoa, where he was a draftsman. The young couple married October 7th, 1951 in Maywood. Their first home was in Compton.
George worked in the booming Los Angeles aerospace industry at a variety of companies, including Alcoa, American Helicopter, McCulloch Aircraft, and finally North American Aviation/Rockwell.
At American Helicopter, he worked on the XH-26 Jet Jeep, an experimental helicopter developed in 1951 to meet a United States Army and Air Force (USAF) request for a collapsible and air-droppable observation helicopter. The Jet-Jeep was powered by pulse-jet engines on the tips of the rotor.
At McCulloch Aircraft Corporation, he worked on the MC-4, a 4-seat, tandem rotor helicopter developed in 1951 by the aircraft division of McCulloch Motors Corp (a company now known for making chainsaws).
At North American Aviation/Rockwell, he worked on a variety of projects, including the F-86, F-100 and F-107 jet fighters and was assigned long-term design roles in the X-15 rocket plane, the Apollo Command Module, the Space Shuttle, and GPS Satellites.
After their first home in Compton, the family lived at S. Helberta Ave in Redondo Beach, Pontevedra in San Pedro, and finally Santa Bella, in Rolling Hills Estates.
George's hobbies were varied and numerous, and included: Horses, photography, fencing, oil painting, archery, woodworking, model airplanes, boat building, hunting, sport-fishing, firearms, muzzle-loading, camping.
He was a member of North American Flying Horsemen, Archery Club of PV, and attended many mountain man rendezvous throughout the west.
He is survived by his wife Doris, his children Marc and his wife Sue, Jeanine and her husband Brad, Erich and his wife Ida, and Kurt; grandchildren Craig and wife Amanda, Melissa and her husband Jameson, Melanie, Chad, Brandon, Meilinda, Tyler and Krista; great grandchildren Avery and Carter.
The family will be holding a private service along the cliffs of his beloved Pacific Ocean, Thursday, August 30th, 2012.
Funeral Home:
Green Hills Mortuary and Memorial Chapel
27501 S.Western Ave.
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
US 90275
George Arnold Bigenho was born December 5th, 1928, in Los Angeles, California, to George Wilhelm Bigenho and Marguerite Stockton Estep. He attended State Street Elementary School, Lake Elsinore Military Academy and South Gate High School, where he graduated in 1947.
He met future wife Doris Clara Thacker at Alcoa, where he was a draftsman. The young couple married October 7th, 1951 in Maywood. Their first home was in Compton.
George worked in the booming Los Angeles aerospace industry at a variety of companies, including Alcoa, American Helicopter, McCulloch Aircraft, and finally North American Aviation/Rockwell.
At American Helicopter, he worked on the XH-26 Jet Jeep, an experimental helicopter developed in 1951 to meet a United States Army and Air Force (USAF) request for a collapsible and air-droppable observation helicopter. The Jet-Jeep was powered by pulse-jet engines on the tips of the rotor.
At McCulloch Aircraft Corporation, he worked on the MC-4, a 4-seat, tandem rotor helicopter developed in 1951 by the aircraft division of McCulloch Motors Corp (a company now known for making chainsaws).
At North American Aviation/Rockwell, he worked on a variety of projects, including the F-86, F-100 and F-107 jet fighters and was assigned long-term design roles in the X-15 rocket plane, the Apollo Command Module, the Space Shuttle, and GPS Satellites.
After their first home in Compton, the family lived at S. Helberta Ave in Redondo Beach, Pontevedra in San Pedro, and finally Santa Bella, in Rolling Hills Estates.
George's hobbies were varied and numerous, and included: Horses, photography, fencing, oil painting, archery, woodworking, model airplanes, boat building, hunting, sport-fishing, firearms, muzzle-loading, camping.
He was a member of North American Flying Horsemen, Archery Club of PV, and attended many mountain man rendezvous throughout the west.
He is survived by his wife Doris, his children Marc and his wife Sue, Jeanine and her husband Brad, Erich and his wife Ida, and Kurt; grandchildren Craig and wife Amanda, Melissa and her husband Jameson, Melanie, Chad, Brandon, Meilinda, Tyler and Krista; great grandchildren Avery and Carter.
The family will be holding a private service along the cliffs of his beloved Pacific Ocean, Thursday, August 30th, 2012.
Funeral Home:
Green Hills Mortuary and Memorial Chapel
27501 S.Western Ave.
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
US 90275
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