Harold Francis Bubek, age 96, passed away peacefully at the Rainey Hospice House on Monday, September 14, 2015, surrounded by his children. He was born in Brooklyn, New York on August 22, 1919 to Elizabeth Schmidt Bubek and Ceriack Joseph Bubek. He was the devoted husband, for 64 years, of Carolyn Smith Bubek, and a loving father to Richard Joseph Bubek, Virginia Helen Bubek, Peter Thomas Bubek, and Lorraine Marie (Robert) Higgins. He was a devoted grandfather to Matthew Robert Higgins. He was the oldest of the six Bubek children. When he was eight, the family moved from Brooklyn to Franklin Square, L.I., where he met his future wife, Carolyn Smith. He graduated from Sewanhaka High School, Floral Park, N.Y. in 1939.He worked for Grumman Aerospace for 45 years, starting as a sheet metal worker and ending as a plant supervisor. Starting in 1940, with an interruption for military service from 1944-46, he worked at Bethpage, L.I., N.Y. constructing aircraft, including the F-14 and the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM). In 1970, after the Apollo 13 command module explosion, the astronauts relied on the LEM to keep them alive and steer the spacecraft on their trip back to earth. Jim Lovell, captain of the crew, thanked him personally for its quality. NASA gave him lifetime access to space launches. He retired in 1985 to Lake Hartwell outside Anderson, S.C. where he took up boating, fishing, gardening, and wood carving. There were many trips with the Grumman Retiree Club that he and Carolyn enjoyed. He served honorably in the 22nd Air Depot Group and 97th Air Depot Repair Squadron during World War II. He repaired B-29s and built airfields on occupied Okinawa. He was a longtime parishioner of St. Catherine of Sienna in Franklin Square, N.Y. and of St. Joseph's in Anderson, S.C. He was also a member of the Piedmont Woodcarver's Club. He was predeceased by his wife Carolyn Smith Bubek, son Richard Joseph Bubek, brother, Frances L. Bubek, and sister Marilyn Connors. He is survived by three younger sisters, Elizabeth Livi of New York, Audry McNulty of Maryland, and Martha McCarthy, of Florida. The Memorial Service will be held at St. Joseph Catholic Church on Monday, September 28, 2015 at 1:30 p.m. A message of condolence may be sent by visiting www.mcdougaldfuneralhome.com. The McDougald Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Anderson, SC Events Memorial service Monday, September 28, 2015 1:30PM St. Joseph Catholic Church 1200 Cornelia Road Anderson, SC 29621 Phone: 864-225-5341