Obituaries : Jack Fives; Aerospace Engineer

Jack Fives, an aerospace engineer who after an early retirement returned to college and found a second career as a volunteer fingerprint examiner for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, has died. He was 68.

A Canyon Country resident since 1969, Fives died Tuesday at Wadsworth Veterans Administration Hospital in Los Angeles. According to his son, J. Timothy Fives, he had been in a coma since a February heart attack.

After more than 20 years as an aerospace engineer at Lockheed’s Burbank facility, he was forced by a heart attack into early retirement in 1981. He returned to school, first to College of the Canyons and then UCLA. In 1988, he graduated from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in Asian studies--the oldest graduate in his class at age 62.

That same year, he began working as a volunteer with the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, performing latent print analyses. Equipped with his own mobile crime lab, Fives assisted sheriff’s deputies with a variety of criminal investigations. He also gave testimony in many preliminary hearings.

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., he joined the Navy during World War II. While stationed in Japan from 1949-1952, Fives worked as an investigator for the Navy’s Criminal Investigation Division, where he received training in latent print analysis.

After the war, he met his wife, Carol, while both were employed as radio operators for United Airlines. They were married in 1948. The Fiveses came to the San Fernando Valley in 1958, settling in Van Nuys.

He joined Lockheed the next year and worked on a variety of classified projects during his 22 years with the defense contractor. In 1969, he and his wife moved to Canyon Country.

In addition to his son and wife, Fives is survived by a daughter, Michele Fives of Canyon Country; a brother, Donald Fives of Coral Gables, Fla.; and two sisters, Paula Fives of Burlington, Vt., and Fritzi Garber of Wayne, N.J., and one grandson.

A memorial service will be held 11 a.m. Tuesday at St. Clare Catholic Church, 19606 Calla Way, Canyon Country. In accordance with Fives’ wishes, his ashes will be scattered at sea. The Neptune Society in Burbank is handling arrangements.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Citizens Protection Alliance, 2210 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 174, Santa Monica 90403.