Retired Trans World Airlines (TWA) International Captain and longtime Point Dume resident Frederick “Fred” Werner died Sept. 26 at the age of 89, following a long battle with multiple sclerosis.
Werner was born Sept. 7, 1925 in Winslow, Ariz., to Charles Henry Werner and Alma Atkinson Werner. After graduating from high school in 1943, Werner enlisted in the Army Air Force as an aviation cadet. He was awarded his wings and commissioned 2nd Lieutenant at Pecos Field, Texas, in May 1945. His cadet class was the last to go through the Army’s air-combat training, having the unique distinction of closing every base where they trained. With the war winding down, his class was never called up for duty.
After the war, he attended UCLA as a math major. There he was affiliated with the Sigma Nu fraternity and owned one of the first cars on campus.
Following a stint in the newly created Air Force where Werner was one of four weather forecasters at Tulin Air Base, Austria, he joined TWA in 1953. Based at LAX, he flew a variety of propellor and jet engine aircraft on both domestic and international routes. He retired Sept. 7, 1985, as an international 747 captain, having logged 20,000 flight hours throughout a career of 32 years.
Werner is survived by his wife, Betty; son, Gary; grandchildren, Michael and Kristen Stankowski; brother, Dick, and his wife, Ruth; niece, Debbie, and her husband; nephews, Hal and Andrew, and their families; great-nephew, James; and extended nephews and nieces.
Werner was preceded in death by a daughter, Joanne Werner Stankowski, of Westlake Village in 1997.
A celebration of life service took place at Valley Oaks Memorial Park on Oct. 2. It was led by Pastor Greg Hughes of Malibu Presbyterian Church, where Werner had been a member for many years. Attended by family and friends, “he was remembered for his generous, easy-going nature, quick wit, and ready smile,” a loved one shared.