Alfred Jonke passed away peacefully after a short illness, on Thursday, May 23, 2024 at his home in Harlingen, Texas surrounded by his family. He was born June 20,1935, in the former German speaking region of Gottschee, Yugoslavia currently known as Kocevje, Slovenia.
During WWII his family lost their home and was forced to relocate by the Nazis. His family was also separated from their father and eventually they were reunited in Austria by the Red Cross. His family lived in a small mountain village where he had a 45-minute walk down the mountain to where he would catch the train to get to his school in Klagenfurt. At the end of the school day, he would do the same travel in reverse. Eventually the family emigrated to Queens, New York in 1950 when he was 14 years old.
In Queens Al began school at Grover Clevland High School speaking no English. He later attended City College of New York, earning a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. He began his aerospace career shortly after graduation and worked in various locations in the U.S. From 1965 to 1969, while working at Gruman Aircraft in White Sands, New Mexico, he was one of the engineers who helped design the engines for the Lunar Module which was part of the Apollo Space Program. Also, while working at Gruman Aircraft, Al met his wife, Donna Rae Martin of Espanola, New Mexico.
In 1984 Al earned his master’s degree in civil engineering from the University of New Mexico. Al’s work in the aerospace industry with General Dynamics (now United Launch Alliance after several name changes) brought him to the Rio Grande Valley in Texas in 1988, where he and his wife Donna have continued to reside. One of his final aerospace career projects before retirement in year 2000, was the Atlas II rocket built by Lockheed Martin.
Al enjoyed skiing, playing tennis and poker, doing crossword puzzles, four-wheel driving the mountains of Colorado and walking the dog. He was exceptionally bright, fun and a witty jokester.
Al leaves behind his wife of 56-years, Donna Jonke, three children Adam (Terra) Herrera, Annette (Doug) Wolf, and Karen (Michael) Durham, nine grandchildren Rachel (Erik) Denning, Patrick-Vincent Herrera, Steven (Claire) Wolf, Jason Durham, Tyler Wolf, Cory Herrera, Courtney (Chris) Murtagh, Sarah Durham, Colten (Shona) Herrera, three great grandchildren, Madelyn, Avery and Peyton Denning. He is also survived by his sister, Renate (Rolf) Schmidt and sister-in-law Katie Jonke of Mahopac, New York, sister-in-law Catherine Daddow of Aztec, New Mexico as well as many nieces and nephews. Alfred is preceded in death by his parents John and Josefa Jonke, as well as his brother Erwin Jonke.
The family will receive friends and relatives on Wednesday, June 12, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Daniels Funeral Home in Alburquerque, NM. A funeral service will begin at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday morning in the funeral home chapel. Following the service, Alfred will be laid to rest at Sandia Memory Gardens in Alburquerque, NM.
