Jesse F. Goree Jr.

Jesse F. Goree Jr., 75, of Burnet died Jan. 31, 2011, in Round Rock. He was born Oct. 25, 1935, to Floyd and Evelyn Ellis Goree in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

He graduated from the University of Alabama with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1957 and was commissioned in the Air Force as a first lieutenant. He was stationed at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.

In 1962, he moved his family to Houston, where he was employed with NASA until his retirement from the Johnson Space Center in 1990. He was part of the Gemini, Apollo and Shuttle programs and retired as manager of systems integration with the Space Station program.

In 1994, he and his wife Barbara retired to the Hill Country on a hill above Inks Lake, where he loved to fish and hunt. His animals, especially his dogs Romeo, Charlie and Booger, were his constant companions.

In addition to his wife of Burnet, survivors include brother Leven Handy Goree and wife Mary of Ridington Shores, Fla.; daughters Pamela and husband Steve Del Bello and Renee and husband Thomas McEntire, all of Manvel; son Allen Goree and wife Karen of Columbia, Mo.; stepchildren Susan and husband Mike Alcayde of Texas City; Stephen McCreery and wife Wendy of Santa Fe, Texas, Joey McCreery and wife Bradly of Texas City; grandchildren Ashley Del Bello of Santa Monica, Calif., Seth Del Bello, Ami and T.J. Kern, all of Manvel, Zachary and Megan Goree of Columbia, Mo., Seraphim McCreery, Alyssa and Brittany Alcayde of Texas City, and Katelyn and Stephen McCreery of Santa Fe, Texas; and great-grandsons Kaden and Landon Del Bello of Burnet.

A memorial service is 2 p.m. Feb. 5 at at Clements-Wilcox Funeral Home, 306 E. Polk St. in Burnet, (512) 756-2222.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the American Lung Association in memory of Jesse F. Goree Jr. at  www.lungusa.org/donate.