Fred Henry, a San Diego native and retired Navy scientist who specialized in the field of human factors, died Saturday, June 17, at his Point Loma home. He was 82.
The cause of death was complications from a stroke and non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
Born Oct. 22, 1923, Henry grew up water-skiing and sailing in San Diego waters. He joined his older brother, Bill, in adventurous water sports, including using 3-foot-long plywood skis in an activity they called surf-skiing.
Henry later raced a 38-foot sloop for years as a member of the San Diego Yacht Club. He gave up water skiing in the early 1980s, but snow skied until he was 80.
A heart defect kept Henry out of the military in World War II, so he joined the Merchant Marines. He served a year in the Pacific and then earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology at San Diego State University.
For 27 years, Henry worked at Navy Electronics Laboratory. His specialty was adapting technology to human needs and engineering solutions to communications problems.
His projects included the Navy Tactical Data System, which incorporated the first shipboard digital computer.
Understanding the potential of wireless technology, he invested early in Qualcomm, the San Diego telecommunications giant.
He also created the Frederick G. Henry Chair in Life Sciences at San Diego State University with a generous donation.
In addition to his wife, Helen Ruth McGregor, survivors include a brother, Austin Henry of Phoenix; nephew, Alan Henry of Phoenix; nephew, Donald Henry of Los Angeles.
A funeral service is scheduled for 10 a.m. July 7 at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, to be followed at 11 a.m. by a reception at San Diego Yacht Club.