Harold Lester Oxer, known to friends and family as Les, died peacefully in his sleep in the early hours of August 23. He was 98.
Les was the most sociable of men. He loved to go camping, towing a 30-foot trailer to all parts of the United States. He loved playing board games, billiards and horseshoes and trading stories around a fire.
Les was born Oct. 8, 1925 in Brooklyn, NY to Pauline Cohen and Joseph Oxer. He had two older siblings: a brother, Hyman, and sister, Lucille. He recalled playing marbles, stick ball and street hockey, and dodging cars with his friends in the noisy city streets. They’d row boats in the lake at Brooklyn’s Prospect Park and hike across the Brooklyn Bridge to explore Manhattan, one time sneaking into Rockefeller Center to watch the Rockettes’ rehearse.
He was still in high school, where he excelled at math, when the United States entered World War II. After graduating, he entered the Army Air Corp and trained to become a navigator. Fortunately, the war was winding down by the time he’d finished training for that dangerous duty, and he was never sent into combat.
Returning to Brooklyn, he studied accounting at New York University downtown. In 1947, he married Milvia Spivak, a fellow student at Brooklyn’s Utrech High School, and they soon produced two daughters, Ruth and Pam. One day, Les spotted an ad from the Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Co. offering to train engineers for their jet and piston engine complex in Connecticut. He hated accounting and had always felt drawn to mechanical engineering, so he leapt at the opportunity. After completing a competitive 18-week course, he was offered a job. The family moved to Connecticut, where Les earned a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Hartford while launching a career in aerospace that lasted more than 35 years.
Les worked on virtually every major engine program at Pratt & Whitney ⎯ commercial, military and space-related ⎯ including the top-secret U-2 spy plane. He spent his final three years with the company living in Israel working in the Lavi fighter program. The overseas assignment enabled Milvia and Les to travel extensively throughout Europe, Africa and China.
Upon returning from Israel, Les retired and they moved to Orlando. Milvia, died in 2019. They had been married for 71 years. In 2023, Les moved to Jacksonville to be near his oldest daughter, Ruth. He is survived by daughters Ruth and Pam, four grandchildren (Jeremy, Daniel, Jonathon and Michael) and three great-grandchildren (Elon, Henry and Jonah).
Graveside Service for Mr. Oxer will be held Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 10:30 AM at Congregation Ohev Shalom Cemetery (6034 Old Winter Garden Road, Orlando, FL) with Rabbi Melissa Crespy of Southwest Orlando Jewish Community officiating. Military honors rendered by the United States Army Honor Guard.
Services entrusted to Beth Shalom Memorial Chapel, 933 Lee Road, Suite 101, Orlando, Florida 407-599-1180.
