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JOE ELIECER ALCALA, August 1935- March 2013 Joe Eliecer Alcala passed away Friday morning, March 1, 2013, in Turlock, CA. He was 77 years old. Joe was born in Chino, California on August 8, 1935, to Jose and Maria Alcala and was the oldest of three siblings, sister Maria Eugenia and brother Raymond. Joe graduated from Chino High School in l954 and continued his education at Chaffey Junior College in Ontario, California and then at California Polytechnic State University in Pomona where he graduated from the School of Engineering with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1961. While a student at Cal Poly, he was a charter member of the University’s chapters of Tau Beta Pi, a national engineering honor society, and Sigma Pi Alpha, an engineering honor fraternity. He later received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the School of Engineering in 1984. He married Teresa Calderon in 1959 and they raised three children Laura, Joseph, and Anna. The family moved to Escondido, California when he was transferred to the General Dynamics San Diego Division in 1979. Their children attended college, graduated and moved away to continue their careers. Life was no longer the same, so Joe and Teresa considered down sizing and moving to Central California to be closer to Teresa’s family. In May of 2012, they moved to the City of Turlock. Joe, an executive at General Dynamics San Diego Division, began an engineering career in 1957 as a draftsman at General Dynamics Pomona Division, prior to his graduation from Cal Poly Pomona. In 1961, he was promoted to Design Engineer and in l963 to Senior Design Engineer. He moved to a supervisory position in l966, and became a section head in l972. In l975, Joe left the design discipline to become a project engineer and subsequently an assistant program director. He further advanced to Marketing Manager in l978 and was transferred in 1979 to the San Diego Division of General Dynamics where he was promoted to Director of Product Design. While at Pomona, Joe’s outstanding work in design and research led to a patent for the mounting of cathode ray tubes in high G environments. He also researched lightweight structural panel construction using polymer foam, and directed a successful effort for reverse computer design of shaped charges for warheads. Joe retired from General Dynamics in 1991 and soon after became a federal employee. He worked as an engineer at the Defense Logistics Agency in San Diego, California and retired in 1998. Joe was also involved with the community as well as with church activities. He chaired St. Madeline’s School Board and the Pomona Catholic Girls High School PTA, served as a member of the City of Pomona Merit System Commission and the Visiting Nurses Association. He was a member of the National Management Association. Visitation will be held March 7 from 5-7 PM with recitation of the Rosary beginning at 7 PM at Turlock Funeral Home, 425 N. Soderquist Rd. Turlock. Funeral Mass to be held on Friday, March 8 at 12:30 PM at St. Bernard's Catholic Church, 163 W. Eaton Ave. Tracy. Interment to follow at Tracy Public Cemetery.

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Joe Eliecer Alcala

August 8, 1935 - March 1, 2013