Facundo (Fag) Campoy

September 4, 1933 - February 17, 2025, Age 91

Facundo was born in Fair Oaks to Francisco (Frank) and Rosa Campoy, immigrants of Spain.  He was the youngest of seven and the last survived of siblings Frank Campoy, Anne Clover, Pete Campoy, Joe Campoy, Lasalle Campoy, and Isabel Owens.  He was baptized at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Sacramento and became a lifelong parishioner of St. Mel beginning at the original St. Mel Church on Bridge Street in Fair Oaks.  Later Facundo married Mary Jo Burns of Manhattan, Kansas, at that same location.  Their remarkable faith-filled union lasted for 67 happy years until his passing.

Facundo was the beloved father of Sandra (deceased), Rebecca, Laura (Kurt), Cheryl, Steve (Amanda), and Anthony (Laurie).  He was also the devoted, loving, and involved grandfather of 16 grandchildren, 25 great grandchildren, and 3 great, great grandchildren.

Facundo served with the 24th Infantry Div. of the US Army with a final rank of Sgt. 1st class.  Somewhat prophetically, his tour was served as a motor pool Sargent attached to a MASH unit.  He was a proud and patriotic Korean War Veteran.

His career was both long and illustrious.  After an initial five years employed as a welder by Aerojet General Corp (later Aerojet Tech Systems), he embarked on five self-employed years as owner of Fag Campoy’s Speed-O-Motive in Sacramento, during which time he participated in drag boat racing and earned two world speed records.  The first was as a driver in the Top Fuel Division in a boat named “Climax”, and the second was as owner, builder, and driver in the Unblown Fuel Division in one christened “Adios Two”.  The latter was achieved with the support and partnership of Mary’s brother Sylvester “Buzz” Burns.

Facundo returned to Aerojet and remained there for 30 more years, eventually becoming foreman of Welding Operations and ultimately retiring as Director of Manufacturing.  While employed at Aerojet, he became part of a team of three brilliant men, along with Bob Truax and Bill Sprow, who developed and built the rocket propulsion system for the daredevil Evel Knievel’s “Sky Cycle” rocket with which he attempted to jump the Snake River Canyon in September of 1974.

Within Aerojet, he was crucial in the manufacturing of the Titan Defense Missiles, the Navy Mine Program, the Space Shuttle’s Orbital Maneuvering System engines (for which he received the prestigious Silver Snoopy Award), as well as many other rocket engine systems.  He was quite literally a rocket scientist, with the intellect and vision that such a title suggests.  Both while at Aerojet and during his long retirement, that intellect and drive was rarely idle.  A steady decades-long stream of calls and visitors were always present to ask technical advice and commission special jobs.  One such call came from Aerojet itself.  Upon the end of the cold war, Russia had sold Aerojet some of its NK-33 and NK-43 engines, but without any of their manufacturing information included.  Their goal was to update and sell the engines to clients but could not do so without crucial manufacturing specifications.  Facundo was asked to travel to Russia and tour the facilities in question, where cameras and notetaking were not allowed, to glean the required information.  He did so, returning to the US with handwritten notes created in his hotel room each night of everything he had seen and analyzed during the day.  The mission was successful, and the engines were updated and subsequently repurposed. 

Through unsurpassed aptitude, skill, and performance, Facundo had been able to attain a Professional Engineering License in Manufacturing Engineering with the state of California in 1978 without having received the benefit of a college education.  He had become a legend in his own lifetime, and was known and loved both locally and in extended circles wherever cars, boats, or rockets pushed the envelope of speed.

In Lieu of flowers, donations can be made in the name of Facundo Campoy to the St. Vincent de Paul Society at St. Mel Catholic Church.

A viewing and the Rosary will be held at Price Funeral Chapel, 6335 Sunrise Blvd., Citrus Heights, CA 95610 from 4:00 pm until 7:00 pm Thursday, February 27th. Mass of Christian Burial will be held the following day, Friday, February 28th at 10:30 am at St Mel Catholic Church 4745 Pennsylvania Ave., Fair Oaks, CA 95628 with a Graveside service to immediately follow at Calvary Catholic Cemetery, 7101 Verner Ave., Citrus Heights, CA.