In Memoriam
July 30, 1924 – June 17, 2021
It is with sadness that we mention the passing of Martin (Marty) Engler. A club member, a friend to many, and an American hero. A member of America’s Greatest Generation, who rose to fight a true evil threatening our world in World War II.
Marty served as a pilot, flying P-47 Thunderbolts in Europe. He was shot down while scouting enemy positions and was rescued by an American armored column. Returning to his airbase, he continued flying combat missions during the Battle of the Bulge.
After his return on the QE II to the United States, he enrolled at Cal Poly. Soon after, he married his wartime sweetheart, Mary, the day after her graduation from William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA. They settled and started a family in San Luis Obispo while he earned his degree in Mechanical Engineering. In 1950 he returned to San Diego where he worked for SDGE for 27 years…starting as a laborer and leaving the company as Executive Vice President. His accomplishments during that time paved the way for more success in Texas where he worked for El Paso LNG Company in Houston and later retired from their parent Company, El Paso Natural Gas. He enjoyed 25 years of fun restoring and flying antique airplanes. After Mary’s death in 2012, he settled back in San Diego with his daughter and his dog, Piper.
