Charles Houck, Sr.

Charles Houck, 89, passed on to his Lord on Sunday, December 6, 2009.

Visitation will be Monday, December 7, 2009, from 2:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. at McCullough Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, December 8, 2009, at First United Methodist Church, the reverends Jimmy Asbell and Missy Blumenthal officiating. Interment will follow in Magnolia Park Cemetery. In Memorial donations may be made to the Charles Houck, Sr. Endowment Fund, First United Methodist Church, 205 N. Davis Drive, Warner Robins GA 31093, or to the Methodist Home for Children and Youth, 304 Pierce Avenue, Macon GA 31204.

Mr. Houck was a native of Dayton, Ohio, having moved to Georgia in 1952 as a transfer from HQ AMC, where he worked for over ten years with time out for service during WW II. He was in the USAAF 8th AF in Europe, and later in the 100th Troop Carrier SQ (Airborne) in Germany.

He was a pioneer in the introduction of armament electronics in the USAF starting in 1949. He participated in the provisioning of spare parts for the B-47 bomber and the new interceptor fleet of F-101, 102, and 106 aircrafts with completely integrated fire control systems. As Chief of the Fighter Fire Control Unit at HQ, he also was the support manager for armament on all new jet fighters. At WRALC, he progressed to Chief or Deputy Division Chief, for worldwide management of Industrial Production Equipment, then C-130, C-141, and at one period for all aircraft prime at Robins AFB, U-2 excluded. In 1953, he noted a flaw in spare parts computation procedure. He determined that using total flying hours provided by HQ USAF could not logically be used for parts computations for aircraft with different configurations of systems installed. He directed the change of dividing total hours for a series of aircraft to fit each configuration which differed. In the first year, a $125-million potential savings was calculated. He completed his career as Deputy Chief of the Armament Division over all Bombing, Fire Control, Weapons, and most Air to Air and Air to Ground Missiles, with over thirty-four years of service.

He had attended the University of Cincinnati and Ohio University. A long time member of Fist United Methodist Church, he established an endowment fund and supported many Methodist affiliated organizations. He was a life member of the VFW, the 8th AF Historical Society, Common Cause, and NARFE. He served eleven years on the National Executive Board in Washington, DC, as Region 111 National Field Vice President, presiding over five states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. He also served the local NARFE Chapter for many years as Legislative Officer. He was a community columnist for the Macon Telegraph for thirteen years, and activist for senior citizen affairs. He was predeceased by his parents, Edward Houck and Elizabeth Haines Houck, sister, Frances Houck Hanauer, Dayton, Ohio, and brother, Edward Eugene Houck, Richmond, Indiana.

He will live in the hearts of his wife, Jean G. McRae Houck, Warner Robins; son, Charles W. Houck, Jr., (Linda), Lizella; grandchildren, Jennifer Lynch, James Troy Houck, Michael Cowart and Michelle Cowart; great-grandchildren, Nakayla, Charlie, Mia and Cody; cousin, Harry Balonier, Daytona, Ohio. His beloved Chihuahua Chrissy will miss him very much.


Funeral Home:
McCullough Funeral Home
417 S. Houston Lake Rd.
Warner Robins, GA
US 31088