Mr. William “Bill” Walters Petynia of Fredericksburg, Texas passed away at his residence on Sunday, March 11, 2012 at the age of 86 years. He was born October 10, 1925 in Tampa, Florida, the son of Michael Petynia and LaVerne Walters Petynia, and served in the United States Army Air Corp during WW II as an Aerial Navigator. He received an Aeronautical Engineering degree from the University of Florida in 1949. Bill worked as an Aeronautical Engineer at NASA/Johnson Space Center where he participated in the design, development and flight testing of the Mercury, Apollo and Space Shuttle Programs, and as Manager of Mechanical Systems for the Space Shuttle until he retired in 1982.

Bill is preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Elizabeth Ann Allred.

Mr. Petynia is survived by the following, his wife Billye Gibson Petynia of Fredericksburg, daughter and spouse, Barbara and Stacy Holly of League City, Texas, and two step-daughters and spouses, Donna and Roger Dillon of Lumberton, Texas, and Patti and Elton Brownshadel of Hempstead, Texas.

Memorial services for William Petynia will be held on Saturday, March 17, 2012 at 11:00 AM in the chapel of the Schaetter Funeral Home in Fredericksburg, with Rev. Ray Williams officiating.

Private family interment of cremains will take place in the Greenwood Cemetery in Fredericksburg.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions in his memory be given to the Hill Country Memorial Hospice.

The family will receive friends Saturday morning from 10:00 to 11:00 AM in the chapel of the Schaetter Funeral Home in Fredericksburg.

Expressions of sympathy may be sent at www.schaetter.com.