Alfred G. Piranian

Alfred G. Piranian of Chalfont, Pennsylvania passed away at age 74 on February 24, 2022 in a plane crash. Born Alfred George Piranian on May 27, 1947 in Lugano, Switzerland, he was the oldest of Alfred and Magdalena’s seven children. He graduated high school from Germantown Academy, going on to earn both his B.S.E. and Master’s degrees in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Princeton University. In June 1971, Al married Inger Jeannette de Haas. Their union would continue for over 50 years and produce five children: Edward, Heidi, Karen, Lori, and Lisa. Al was a devoted husband, son, father, and grandfather, and he took great delight in spending time with his immediate and large extended family. Later in life he was beyond thrilled to welcome 15 grandchildren, ranging today from college-aged to newborn. He cherished his grandchildren, showering them with love and attention in the time he was able to spend with them. Al devoted most of his professional life to serving his country, in dual capacities both as a Navy civil service employee and as a Naval Reservist. Al began his career as an aerospace engineer for the U.S. Navy by working at the Naval Air Development Center (NADC) Warminster in Johnsville, Pennsylvania in 1967. When NADC closed in 1993 as a part of the federal government's base realignment initiatives, Al continued his work at Naval Air Station Patuxent River until his retirement in 2015. Over his 48-year service as an aerospace engineer working for the Navy, Al worked as a senior aerodynamicist on the design of the F-14, F-18, and the F-35. He was responsible for the airworthiness certification of all stores/weapons carried by the F-14 Tomcat, the Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) and the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) on the F/A-18 Hornet, and also finally on the F-35 (Joint Strike Fighter). He was a member of the NATO Air Armament Working Party and presented internationally. Al also served in the Naval Reserves, drilling at Naval Air Station Willow Grove and achieving the rank of Commander. He also flight instructed in the Willow Grove flying club, and in the last seven years of his life Al continued to pursue his interest in aviation by flight instructing at Doylestown Airport. He logged over 11,000 flight hours with his favorite airplane by far being the T-34B Mentor and was loved by numerous students. Al was generous with his time and resources as he pursued an eclectic range of outside interests over the years. He rowed on the Princeton men’s varsity lightweight crew team for all four years of college. While completing work on his master’s degree at Princeton, Al served as a crew coach in the earliest years of Princeton's women’s varsity crew team. His lifelong dedication to Princeton rowing continued, as he served for decades as Treasurer of the Princeton University Rowing Association. Other pursuits of Al’s included a love of classical and choral music, coaching his children's sports teams, serving as a Boy Scouts leader for his son’s troop, teaching Sunday school, playing his violin in worship services, and singing in the church choir for many years. He had a great love of history, was a voracious reader, traveled as widely as possible, and enjoyed German cuisine wherever he could find it. Above all, Al’s deep and abiding Christian faith shaped his life’s work and purpose on Earth and now he is with his Savior. Al was a long-time member of Hilltown Baptist Church and worshiped most recently at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Harleysville. Al is survived by his mother Magdalena Piranian of Ambler, Pennsylvania; his wife Jeannette of Chalfont, Pennsylvania; son Ed Piranian and his wife Jennifer of Wasilla, Alaska; daughter Heidi Bauer and her husband Steve of Bethesda, Maryland; daughter Karen Burgman and her husband Michael of Fountainville, Pennsylvania; daughter Lori Mulcare and her husband Bobby of Greenwich, Connecticut; daughter Lisa Ferguson and her husband John of Lansdale, Pennsylvania; six siblings; and 15 grandchildren. Donations in Al’s memory may be made to Mission Projects Fellowship, P.O. Box 209, Telford, Pennsylvania 18969. A memorial service celebrating Al’s life will be held at Hilltown Baptist Church in Hilltown, Pennsylvania on Sunday, March 13th at 2 pm, with a musical tribute beginning at 1:30 pm.