Otto Goetz (81) died peacefully at home on Saturday, May 24, 2014 from complications due to a stroke. Otto, born in Rastatt, Germany in 1932, was the son of Karl and Rosa Goetz. He grew up in the Northern Black forest with his beloved aunt, Theresia Bauer, and her family. Otto graduated from the Technical University of Karlsruhe, Germany in 1957 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. After working in Switzerland, Otto immigrated to the United States in 1961 to work at the Redstone Arsenal. He then joined NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center Test Laboratory in 1962 as the lead Laboratory Engineer for the Apollo J-2 and F-1 engine turbo-pumps and POGO tests. With the start of the Space Shuttle development, Otto was transferred to the Propulsion Laboratory in 1974 where he became the engineering task-leader for the turbo-pumps of the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) and served as acting Turbomachinery Branch Chief. NASA established a separate SSME development Project in 1987 with Otto as Chief Engineer. Following the Challenger accident, Otto was promoted to Chief Engineer for the combined SSME Project with the major initial task of implementing the ROCHER Commission recommendations. Until his retirement in 1996, Otto continued efforts to improve the reliability and efficiency of the SSME, culminating in the Block I and Block II configurations that flew most recently.

During his career, Otto earned several awards including the Astronautics Engineer Award from the National Space Club, presented at the Goddard Memorial Dinner (1993); NASA Engineer of the Year from the Society of Professional Engineers (1991); and the Stellar Award from Rotary International (1993). Otto was especially proud of his Silver Snoopy presented by NASA astronauts (1981).

After retiring, Otto did consulting work that included improving Russian rocket engines, and he was also appointed as a member of the NASA Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP). During retirement, Otto spent many happy hours on his tractor and in his large garden at his farm in New Market.
Otto is survived by his wife, Lone, of 50 years and by his son Christian Otto Goetz, and special friend Ms. Blake Hayes Green, of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Otto is also survived by his daughter Sabine Erickson, and her husband Link, of Burnt Hills, New York. Otto leaves behind two grandchildren, Therese and Christian, of whom he was especially proud. Otto is survived by a sister, Lori Goetz, in Evanston, Illinois, and his cousins, Marlene Bauer and Bernd Bauer of Germany, and Brigitte Bernert of France. Otto is predeceased by a sister, Kati Goetz Baron, of Cupertino, California. Since 1961, Otto was a member of St. Mary's Church of the Visitation in downtown Huntsville.

The family will receive friends from 4:00pm until 6:00pm, Sunday June 1, 2014 at the Berryhill Funeral Home. A private funeral mass will follow. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Food Bank of North Alabama (PO Box 18607, Huntsville, Alabama 35804) or to the Humane Society of Greater Huntsville (2812 Johnson Road SW, Huntsville, Alabama 35805). Finally, the family wishes to thank the nurses at Alacare and Alacare Hospice, especially Debbie Elliotte, for their loving care during Otto's last months at home.