Louis Ceyetano Pico Jr.

Louis Ceyetano Pico Jr passed away peacefully in the early morning hours of November 1st, 2023, at the age of 99 years old. Louis was preceded in death by his beloved wife Gerry (Girard Pico) and his second son, Gilbert Louis Pico. Louis is survived by two other sons, Andres Girard Pico and Roger Joseph Pico, and a daughter, Antonia Marcia McCoy, who was by his side when he passed. He is also survived by 15 grandchildren who knew and loved him dearly, and 20 great-grandchildren. All were with him in spirit when he went home to be with the Lord. Louis was a beloved man who thrived because of the love he had for his family, his work, his friends, and his neighbors. He is deeply missed.

Louis was born in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1924 during the early years of the city's growth. He had many stories of the Las Vegas he grew up in and loved, as it grew from the small railroad town whose depot was close to his home, into the young metropolis it started to become when he was in high school. He talked of visiting the Boulder Dam Project with his father when he was 6 years old and walking through the newly formed tunnels at the base of the construction. He remembered the first hotel-casino that opened on the Strip in the early 30's, and helping his father and uncles construct the steamed heating system that was needed for the apartments that his father owned. Louis grew up as the only child of Antonia Eva and Louis C. Pico Sr but was very close to his 12 aunts and uncles and numerous cousins that filled his long life with love and adventure. In 1942 Louis graduated from Las Vegas High School, now called Las Vegas Academy, and attended Heald Engineering College in San Fransisco before joining the United States Army Air Corps. He always smiled when he would recall Basic Training on Miami Beach during the 40's when the country's famous beach playground was "taken over" to prepare military troops for WWII. His barracks was the Seaside Hotel, and his physical training was on the ocean sand! Because Louis joined the Army Air Corps to fly, his training took him to several different military bases across the country, including Goodfellow, Lackland, Niagra Falls, and Ellington Air Force Bases. His final, and favorite destination, however, would become Hondo Air Base where he graduated with the class of 44-J to train navigators.

After he separated from the military, Louis went to the University of Nevada at Reno to continue his education in the field of Engineering and it was there where he met and married Girard Parker, his wife of 70 years. After they both received their bachelor's degrees, they moved east to Ohio when Louis was recalled for duty to serve at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base during the Korean War. While In Ohio, Louis and Girard had two sons, Andres and Gilbert. After his final separation from the military, Louis worked for Ram Industries as a machinist, while at the same time continuing his education in Electrical Engineering. After a time, his college roommate sought him out for a position at General Dynamics in their Convair Division in Southern California, and the family moved to North Hollywood, where their son Roger was born. Louis would commute to San Diego to work in Advanced Systems for the Atlas rocket projects and Project Mercury, but his transition to Ryan Aeronautics came soon after and the family settled in San Diego, where their daughter Antonia (Toni) was born. Louis stayed with Ryan as an Aerospace Engineer for the rest of his career which lasted for an extremely rewarding 40+ years; twice retiring but coming back as a consultant, also twice. His contributions to the Aerospace industry were extensive, and as a Systems Engineer for Apollo missions, and Remote-Controlled Piloted Vehicles including the ever-important Global Hawk, he and his teams helped to continually push spaceflight into the future.

Growing up with dad was never boring. His wit and sense of humor were infectious, and his intelligence was awe inspiring. We grew up loving Space and we hungered to know more. Classical music, literature, and reading for education were mandatory, and the display of proper manners too, of course. Service was important and he showed us that by serving in his church and by volunteering to fly needed clothing and medicines to Mexico with the Flying Samaritans organization. Dinner together at the table every night was a part of growing up, and meals were always accompanied by ample amounts of endless laughter. Dad was also a sleight of hand magician, and when you added that to hunting, boating, fishing, or taking a carload of kids to the tennis courts, our childhoods were filled with many memories. Watching him dance with mom was beautiful, and they made time for each other dancing together in ballroom competitions with the National Smooth Dancers for many years. How did dad memorialize his lifetime with mom? "We had fun!" he'd say proudly.

Dad was an OG on Yosemite St...one of the last, and the message he'd leave with anyone and everyone daily during these last years was always this: "Have Fun!"

Visitation will be on Sunday, December 10, 2023, from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm, with a Rosary at 3:00 pm. El Camino Memorial – Sorrento Valley, 5600 Carroll Canyon Rd, San Diego, CA 92121.

Funeral mass will be held on Monday, December 11, 2023, from 10:00 am to 11:00 am at Good Shepherd Catholic Church, 8200 Gold Coast Drive, San Diego, CA 92126.

A graveside service will immediately follow from 11:30 am to 12:00 pm at El Camino Memorial –Sorrento Valley