Carl Keppler III, 87, went to be with his Lord and Savior on Wednesday, July 5, 2017. Carl was born on June 8, 1930 in Houston, Texas. He grew up in the Heights and completed John H. Reagan High School in 1948. He joined the United States Air Force, serving at Scott AFB and Randolph AFB. He returned home and completed in 1956 a BS degree in electrical engineering at the University of Houston. While attending classes, Carl met a Christian group called the Navigators who led him to the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal savior.
He accepted an engineering job in Fort Worth with General Dynamics Aircraft Company working on nuclear reactor instrumentation. Later he moved over to flight test instrumentation working with the B-58 supersonic bomber. Carl met his wife to be in a Bible class and married her in 1957. They settled down in a Fort Worth home and in 1960 their first son was born. Later in Houston the second son was born in 1963.
Also in 1960, Carl received a request to join NASA in Virginia. They moved to Houston and started a thirty year career of Federal service with the Johnson Space Center working on the Apollo program and the Space Shuttle and completing his career as a System Space Shuttle Instructor.
Carl is reunited with his wife of 55 years, Louise Sessums Keppler; son, Roderick G. Keppler and parents, Carl Keppler Jr. and Hallie Keppler . He is survived by his son, Craig R. Keppler; brother, Donald Keppler and wife Pat and other relatives and dear friends.
Carl’s life will be celebrated Wednesday, July 12, 2017 at 10:30 a.m. at Pine Valley Bible Church, 4101 Grimes St. (at Broad St.), Houston, Texas 77087, following a private interment at Woodlawn Garden of Memories.
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