Raymond Bruce Furst

Raymond B. Furst (August 20, 1924 – March 25, 2022), an award-winning mechanical engineer whose designs for rocket engine pumps were central to the success of the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs, died on March 25 in Dana Point, CA. He was 97.

Ray was a beloved son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and uncle. Born in Los Nietos, CA, in 1924, he attended Fullerton Junior College, where he ran on the track team and raced in the Fresno Relays. In 1942, he joined the US Navy, which sent him to CalTech to study mechanical engineering. After the war, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley in 1948, and went on to earn a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Southern California in 1957.

In 1948, he began his career working as an air conditioning engineer for C.F. Braun & Company. He joined AiResearch in 1949, learning the ropes and ultimately working as a fluid mechanics engineer. He designed the cabin pressurization system for the Boeing 707 transport and other aircraft. Seeking new challenges, he joined Rocketdyne, where he worked from 1958-1986, beginning as a research engineer and rising from supervisor of the centrifugal pump unit to manager of the Hydrodynamic Department. He was responsible for the hydrodynamic design of Rocketdyne’s rocket engine turbopumps, including the Space Shuttle Main Engine Liquid Oxygen and Liquid Hydrogen pumps.

He retired from Rocketdyne in 1986 and moved to Vernon, France, to work as a consultant for the European Space Agency on turbopump design of the Ariane rocket. In 1990, he returned to the United States, settled in Dana Point, CA, and continued to consult for aerospace companies.

Ray was the first chairman of the San Fernando Valley section of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and was selected as national chairman of the organization’s Rose Parade Float Committee to celebrate the 100th anniversary of ASME in 1980.

He was awarded the Henry R. Worthington Medal from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers in 1988 for his eminent contributions to the field of high energy turbopumps.

He enjoyed sailing, tennis, gardening, and cooking delicious shish-kebab and fiery dragon chili. He had a wry sense of humor and loved jokes and puns.

Raymond was predeceased by first wife, Mary Elizabeth Parker, and his step-grandson Conor. He is survived by his wife Patricia Sheila Furst; son Christopher; daughters Colleen and Janice; daughter-in-law Tanis; son-in-law James; grandchildren David, Chandra, Michelle, Laura, and Daniel; great-grandson Wyatt; stepchildren Sheila, Erin, Robert, and Tricia; step-grandchildren Colin, Ethan, Quinnly, Jessica, Maya, Riley, and Kaylan; brother Donald and his wife Millie; nephew Brad; niece Cheryl; step-niece Linda; step-nephew Doug; sister-in-law Anita Parker; brother-in-law Donald Tysler; and numerous Parker nieces and nephews.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.rosehills.com for the Furst family.