Howard Grantz, age 102, passed away at the Comprehensive Care Center in Lompoc on November 20 ^th , 2019. He was born in Brooklyn New York on June 20, 1917 to Anna and Einar Grantz – both immigrants from Norway.

At a young age he new he wanted to be an engineer. He kept a detailed scrapbook of cars and airplanes; and competed in endurance flying of rubber-band powered model airplanes. He attended a technical high school in Brooklyn before attending the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn where he earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and graduated with honors as a member of the engineering society Tau Beta Pi. Following graduation, he went to work for General Electric – where he would remain for his entire professional career.

He began his 41-year career at GE in 1939 as a project engineer responsible for designing a high-altitude turbocharger for use on the B-17 bomber as well as other aircraft. He worked on some of the first jet engines developed in the U.S. In 1948 he was transferred to Hanford Washington where he was the manager of reactor engineering. In 1950, he was transferred back to Schenectady, NY where he was the manager of engineering for small atomic power plants. Among those was the nuclear reactor which powered the Nautilus - the world's first operational nuclear-powered submarine. He received a letter of commendation from Admiral Hyman Rickover for his work. From 1958 until his retirement in 1980, he was manager of the GE Missile and Space Division's Western Area Field Services at Vandenberg AFB.

Howard was a founding member of the Vandenberg Village Association as well as the V.V. Community Services District. He was especially active with the Water Board. His most rewarding achievement was the completion of the Village Library as only one half of the original design had been completed. He made plans, plots and cost estimates. This second half was completed in 2002. Since then with the assistance of the Village Rotary Club, he provided a Reader's Garden outside the library with flowers and benches. After his wife, Jean, passed away in 2000, he established a patient's garden in her memory at the previous Lompoc Hospital. It was well used and appreciated. It was moved to the new hospital after it was built.

Howard was a founding member of the Vandenberg Village Rotary Club in 1970. In 1972-73 he served as president, and he was an active member until a few years ago. He has served on many committees and boards including the Oversight Committee of the new Lompoc Hospital, the Library Board, the board of the Community Concert Association; and as a trustee of the Lompoc Hospital Foundation as well as on many committees of the Methodist Church.

He is survived by his son, Alan; his sister, Helen Wilbur; his dearest friend and companion, June Schwartz; his granddaughters Lauri Hogan, Jenny Grantz and Julie Grantz; his nephew, John Wilbur and his great grandchildren Ryan and Alice Hogan and Zachary LeFrancois.

A viewing will be held at Starbuck-Lind Mortuary in Lompoc on December 4, 2019 from 4 to 7 pm. The funeral service will be held December 5 at the First United Methodist Church, 925 N F St., Lompoc at 10:30 am.