Below is the obituary for Hal Fenner. Not only was Hal a WWII veteran and pilot of many warbirds, but there are many of us today who have benefitted from his work in helmet and crash technology. He will be greatly missed. I urge you all to read this story of Hals life and may we all hope to live a life as full as he did. God speed, Hal.
Dr. Hal Fenner
Harold Allen Fenner Jr., M.D. 87, of Hobbs, passed away peacefully in his sleep at his home on April 27, 2011. He was born April 12, 1924 in North Platte, Nebraska, son of Dr. Harold A Fenner Sr., Ruth Dixon Fenner and stepmother Marta Fenner. Memorial service celebrating his long and productive life will be at 10 am Saturday, May 7th at First United Methodist Church with Pastor Darren Skinner officiating, Griffin Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Hal Fenner woke up everyday of his life with a goal and a mission and was one of those rare individuals who actually achieved them. His childhood family home was the basement of the Fenner Hospital in North Platte where he grew up learning medicine from his father, raised by the nurses, and became the hospital x-ray tech at age 16. He graduated from North Platte High School and The University of Nebraska. He received his pilot’s license at age 16. During WWII he served as a liaison pilot flying Stinson L-5’s from 1942 – 1947. After the war he received his medical degree from the University of Nebraska College of Medicine in 1948. He was recalled to active duty in the Air Force during the Korean conflict and served at Lackland Air Force Base, where he began his long career in the specialty of Orthopedics.
After discharge in 1961 he returned to Hobbs where he passionately enjoyed 48 years serving Lea County as an Orthopedic surgeon on the staff of Lea Regional Medical Center until the age of 85 and medical examiner for the FAA. Dr. Fenner was one of the original partners of Norta Vista Medical Center. It is commonly said that Dr. Fenner has treated a broken bone at one time or another on practically every family in Lea County.
Hal had a passion for adrenalin producing activities. He logged over 9,500 hours flying warbirds and loved driving fast race cars. He has owned and flown multiple aircraft including B-25, P-51 Mustang, Stinson L-5, T-6, and his Beechcraft T-34. He was considered one of the founding fathers of the Confederate Air Force working decades promoting the goals of preserving the legacy of aviation during WWII. He served on the general staff for many years and was Chief of Staff in 1988 and 1989. He was instrumental creating the world class, Smithsonian equal, American Airpower Heritage Museum in Midland, Texas, having the foresight to preserve WWII artifacts for all time.
He was a professional race car driver in the 1960’s driving road course races in his black Jag participating in Sebring and the Mexican Road Race with such racing legends as Carroll Shelby and Jim Hall, gentlemen who remained his lifelong friends.
Dr. Fenner was the president of the American Association of Automotive Medicine and was instrumental in developing the Abbreviated Injury Scale which standardized the rating of injuries nationwide. He introduced legislation to insure that all automobiles sold in the United States were equipped with seatbelts, and in the 1970’s he was 30 years before his time working diligently on the idea of airbags in cars. In 1973 Dr. Fenner wrote the JF73 Standard for football helmets and equipped the Hobbs Eagles with these helmets. For 5 years the Hobbs Eagles enjoyed being the safest High School football team in the nation. As recent as this year Dr. Fenner was working diligently with congressional leaders to re-introduce legislation to insure higher standards for child football head protection.
Dr. Fenner’s contribution to leadership on various boards, committees, and membership in the field’s of safely, aviation and medicine are too numerous to mention but it is safe to say that when he saw an opportunity to serve and lead he would grab it.
He assumed the presidency of Snell in 1993, holding that position until 2010 and helped improve automotive racing protection for the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and NASCAR. This furthered the recognition of The Snell Memorial Foundation, Inc. as the premiere private crash helmet standards organization in the world.
At the age of 73 he revisited the passion of fatherhood with the birth of Smith and the two spent many precious days hanging out at the airport and flying their beloved T-34.
He is survived by Diane his wife of 26 years, 3 sons: Chip Fenner and wife Paulette of Albuquerque, John Fenner and wife Lisa of Albuquerque, Smith Fenner of Hobbs, 1 daughter: Nancy Puckett and husband Danny of Cheyenne, Wy., grandchildren Krista Trotman , Andrew Fenner, and Amanda Fenner of Albuquerque, and great-grandchildren Jaden and Eva Rullo, sister, Patty Fredrickson of Portland, Oregon, previous wife Joyce Fenner of Hobbs, sister-in-law Patsy Fenner of Huntington Beach, Ca. and countless friends and associates nation and worldwide. He is preceded in death by one brother, Don Fenner, and previous wife Shirley Fenner.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Smith’s church youth project, the First United Methodist Church Youth Wing Renovation Fund.
_________________ Taylor Stevenson
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