K of C Council 6031 – Knight of the Month
Manny Dominguez
Born and Raised in: Jerome, Arizona. I will be 89 years old in May!
Married to: Hanna for how long? 52 years!
Kids? 3 Kids (Ben, Tina and Debbie)
Occupation: Aircraft Engine Mechanic for 50 years – and still working at it! Still affiliated with 3 other men in our own company and doing aircraft engine testing and inspections!
Major Jobs: World Airways for 10 years, and PSA (Pacific Southwest Airlines) for 45 years. PSA was in San Diego, CA. Anything having to do with Aircraft engines – I did it! Then I was in Marketing and Sales for engine overhauls.
Why you decided to join the Knights? Jim Cavanaugh was very instrumental. I had been coming to St. Gabriel, and he invited me to a KoC Golfing event. Then he asked me to join the Knights. The Grand Knight and Deputy Grand Knight (Lou Carvalho) at the time also were instrumental in getting me to be a Knight – and I have never regretted that decision – glad I was a Knight! I have been a Knight for about 20 years.
What is one thing that your friends probably don’t know about you? Ahhh… hard to say! I am pretty vocal … I am an open book! Nothing comes to mind.
Favorite Hobby: Golf was my favorite hobby, but now I am at an age where I had to give it up! But I am still working!
If you got to start over again after graduating school, what would you change? Well, I would probably go into … In the Air Force, I was a Dental Technician, so I would probably want to be a Dentist! I had started working at age 16 for Convair here in San Diego, and always wanted to be an aircraft engine mechanic – thought that I could come back to San Diego doing that. However, I volunteered to join the military during the Korean War, and joined the U.S. Air Force. The Air Force had different plans for my career, and they put me in Dental Tech School – so I put in 4 years as a Dental Technician at Travis AFB. When I got out of Air Force, jobs were hard to find. Since I left Convair for the war, they were forced to hire me back … I had a financial situation, so I stayed as an aircraft mechanic for the rest of my career!
Did you travel much? I traveled all over the world! I went to Vietnam, moved all through Europe, all through South America, and Japan with the airlines. I went with World Airways to Vietnam to airlift the first group of G.I.’s out for Christmas. I was over there as the airline representative to make sure the aircraft was properly maintained.
How long have you been a Parishioner of St. Gabriel? Since 1977. I have seen all incarnations of this church. I first attended mass at Midland School, then Dollen Hall, and now the new Sanctuary.