Arthur Fred Kaufmann, known as Art to his friends and family, was born in Cleveland, Ohio to Marie Gehri Kaufmann and Arthur Kaufmann. Art died peacefully on November 10, 2011 in Buda, Texas, at the age of 88.
He was predeceased by his wife Anita, parents Arthur and Marie, stepfather Otto Yenny, sister Helen and nephew Ross. He is survived by his six children; Leslie (Don), Monrovia, CA; Heidi (Donald), Johnson City, NY; Jeff (Linda), Buda; Gary (Connie), Glendale, AZ; Greg (Nancy), Buda; and Hilary (Craig), Buda; grandchildren Dana (Spencer), Erin, Rachel, Ryan, Crystal and Shanna; great-grandchildren Wiley, Sydney, Avalon, Bella and Marcus; brother Lee, sister Nancy, sisters-in-law Loretta and Dorothea; special cousins Ed (Marie), and Anita (Jost), as well as many beloved nieces and nephews.
Art and his wife shared a lifetime of love. Meeting at 14, he married Anita Newton on June 3, 1944. Art was an eternal optimist. He was never at a loss when it came to providing help, encouragement or sharing fresh ideas. He expressed his feelings for others through selfless acts of service. He served in the Army during WWII, including the battle of Okinawa. He was employed at IBM as an engineer, virtually inventing the process of value-engineering. He assisted in solving many of the problems of the Apollo Space Program, including the successful moon landings. He is honorably mentioned in the NASA Hall of Fame, and received many other awards and honors for his professional accomplishments. Art’s many interests included serving as a charter member of the Willoughby Hills Methodist Church in Ohio, and helping to build the physical church. Moving with his family to Vestal, NY in 1962 to work with IBM, he was a member of the Vestal United Methodist Church. He volunteered with Meals on Wheels for 20 years. He was an accomplished chess player, a master-level bridge player, and an unrelenting tennis and table-tennis player. Art and Anita moved to Central Texas in 2007.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m., on Dec. 10, 2011 at the Vestal United Methodist Church, Vestal, NY. Expressions of sympathy may be made in Arthur’s name to Meals on Wheels.
