George Starkey, born in Westchester, Ohio, passed peacefully early Saturday Evening at Huntsville Hospital.
He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Polly E. Starkey; son, George C. Starkey and wife, Cathy, of Huntsville; daughter, Terry Jo Barrett of Atlanta, GA; stepdaughter, Donna Foster of Fort Walton Beach, FL; grandson, Matthew Starkey of Huntsville; granddaughter, Makenna Foster of Fort Walton Beach; and sister, Mary Chandler of Dover, OH.
After completing his military service with the Army, Mr. Starkey settled in Huntsville and joined the Redstone Arsenal’s Ordnance Missile Labs in the late 1950s. He worked as an engineer on free flight rockets and ground support equipment. He was later a Lead Engineer in the Ground Locator Laser Designator (GLLD) Project Office. When GLLD was incorporated with the Hellfire Project Management Office, Mr. Starkey accepted additional design responsibilities and coordinated activities with the Apache and Copperhead Project Offices. As Chief Engineer of the Hellfire Engineering Division, Mr. Starkey was instrumental in the transition from Development to production, and finally the deployment of the Hellfire Missile System and the Designators.
After retiring from Civil Service, Mr. Starkey enjoyed camping with his wife Polly in the RV. George and Polly moved to Leesburg, Florida in March 2000. They bought a cabin in the north Georgia Mountains, and alternated between summers in the mountains and winters in Florida. After 13 years in Florida, George and Polly returned to Huntsville in April, 2013.
A memorial service will be held Friday, May 20, 2016 at 3 p.m. at Laughlin Service Funeral Home, 2320 Bob Wallace Avenue SW, Huntsville, 35805, with Pastor Michael Lightfoot officiating. Friends may call at the funeral home on Friday for one prior to the service, from 2 to 3 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Cornerstone Community Church, 8100 Whitesburg Drive, Huntsville, Alabama 35802.
