Charles "Joe" Cosenza, 89, of Xenia, passed away Sunday, June 6, 2021, at Miami Valley Hospital. He was born July 14, 1931, in Olive Hill, KY, the only son of Charles and Selma Cosenza. He attended Faircreek Church. He is survived by his children, Larry (Clara) Cosenza, Rockville, MD; Curt (Debbie) Cosenza, Beavercreek, OH; Cheryl (Steve) Cosenza-Cassell, Laughlin, NV; and Cindy (Russ) Riesen, Columbus, OH; grandchildren, Justin (Whitney) Cosenza, Jenny Youngberg, Paul Youngberg, and Jonathan Cosenza; great grandchildren, Zayden and Jasimine; sister-in-law, SueAnn Coleman; and by several nieces and nephews, and many close friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Delois Gayle (Tackett) Cosenza.  Joe will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him.

The services will be held at Neeld Funeral Home, 1276 N. Detroit St., Xenia, OH. Visitation will be held from 6-8pm, Friday, June 11. The Memorial service will be held at 10am, Saturday, June 12. The burial will be in Mt. Zion Park Cemetery, Beavercreek. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Faircreek Church, 2400 Faircreek Ridge Dr, Fairborn, OH 45324 or to the American Heart Association in Joe's memory. Condolences may be made to the family at www.NeeldFuneralHome.com.

Joe grew up in Olive Hill, KY where he met his wife-to-be, Gayle Tackett.  They were married after Joe graduated from the University of Kentucky in 1954 with a B. S. Degree in Mechanical Engineering. From December 1954 to December 1956 Joe served as an Air Force officer assigned to the Aircraft Laboratory (now Aerospace Systems Directorate). In 1956 he became a civilian Air Force employee.

Joe spent the majority of his Air Force career in what is now the Aerospace Systems Directorate. He was Chief of the Office of Advanced Development/Integration and Transition, and Deputy Program Element Manager (DEPM) for Advanced Fighter Technology Integration (AFTI). He was Chief of the Flight Vehicle Branch, Aeromechanics Division. Also, Joe was Project Officer on three classified programs vital to the United States defense effort in conjunction with atomic tests at the Nevada and Eniwetok Proving Grounds for which he received several awards, including the Meritorious Civilian Service Award. During the initial phases of that program, he headed the Structures Group in the GAM-87 Project Office. The many projects and programs he was involved with enhanced many aircraft, F-111, X-29,  X-31, F-22, XQ-58A and many more.

He received the Department of the Air force Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service for his management and technical leadership of the ASSET lifting-reentry vehicle program in the early 1960s, which was a precursor for development of future space vehicles, such as the future space shuttle. He directed a highly classified and intensive Air Force in-house study for which he received recognition from the Secretary of the Air Force. He was Technical Director of the X-24A program and Manager of the Transonic Aircraft Technology (TACT) flight test program.

He participated in the Directed Energy Applications in Tactical Airborne Combat (DE ATAC) Study and served on several important committees including the DOD Materials Advisory Board, Aircraft and Astronautics Application Panel, the USAF Air Defense Initiative Panel, the USAF Technical Committee on Space Systems, the NASA/DOS Technical Evaluation, the Air force Advanced Tactical Fighter (F-22) Technology Panel and Systems Analysis Panel for the Space Shuttle Program Definition Proposal. Joe also served as Chairman of the Joint Aeronautical Commanders Group (JACG) Science and Technology Board.

The last five years of his civilian career, Joe was Chief of the Investment Strategy Division, Wright Laboratory (now AFRL). During his time in service of the Air Force, Joe's guidance and leadership were key to mentoring and developing a long list of future leaders for the USAF.

After retiring in 1993, Joe and Gayle enjoyed several years of traveling and fishing with family and friends, utilizing their many Timeshare properties. From 1979 through the early 1990's, Interiors by Gayle, a furniture showroom they owned in Beavercreek, took much of their time (and money). One of the highlights of this venture was twice a year trips to the furniture market in High Point, NC with Curt and Debbie, who worked for them.  Many years later Joe became part of the housing industry in a different way.  In 2012, he entered into a partnership with his daughter Cindy and formed a real estate rental company.

All the travel, fishing, parties and business ownership just didn't keep Joe busy enough so he returned to work in 2006 as a contractor for General Dynamics Information Technology.  He supported AFRL utilizing his many years of experience as a technology planner in the Aerospace System Directorate's predecessor organizations to develop roadmaps in support of future fighter technology programs, including as a Consultant to the Air Vehicle Directorate, (now Aerospace Systems Directorate, AFRL/RQ), providing technical and management support to the Integrated Air Vehicle Self Defense (IAVSD) Program Manager as well as serving as his Deputy. Joe coordinated technology plans and prepared roadmaps for the technology that would be required for a high-speed Long Range Strike vehicle system. He critiqued the Fixed Wing Vehicle planning documentation, as requested by the Air Vehicle Deputy Director. As a result of this evaluation, he proposed and assisted in planning/initiation of the SensorCraft program. He was a Consultant to Sverdrup Technology Inc. for a period of two years and was their principal contact with the Air Vehicle Directorate.

In 2010 Joe began working for Booz Allen Hamilton.  His decades of experience with Directed Energy weapons and expertise was in high demand.  In the early years with Booz Allen, he helped to evaluate Directed Energy systems made by Boeing and Northrup Grumman, pushing the technological boundary of putting these systems on today's aircraft and developing flight test metrics and procedures to ensure these new weapons would be realistically tested.

In late 2018, he devoted his time to ensuring the success of one last flight program.   Joe was a program management advisor on an unmanned air vehicle development program, using the XQ-58A Valkyrie to deploy a small UAS.  As small unmanned air systems become more operationally feasible, Joe's test background was critical in developing a flight test program that is evolving this new technology into a capability that will further our Air Force's war fighting ability. Joe was able to attend the highly successful March 2021 flight test, a fitting capstone to an incredible career spanning more than 50 years.

During his 15 "retirement" years he worked with several different groups, again sharing his knowledge and experience with early and mid-career engineers, mentoring them and helping them to advance their own careers.   He was admired and respected by his coworkers and will be truly missed.    Joe dedicated his time and energy to the Air Force Research Lab and enjoyed the challenges of maturing new technologies that could positively impact the Unites States Air Force.

Joe enjoyed his life and lived it with energy and passion, whether working at the Base or working in his yard.  He had a lifelong fondness of travel and took annual vacations and cruises with the family he was so devoted to.  Joe, an avid supporter of the arts, savored Broadway plays at the Schuster Center, the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, La Comedia Theater, Wright State University plays and simply listening to local bands. His lifelong friends were an important of part of his life, regularly gathering with them for fishing trips, vacations and summer pool parties at the house.  In more recent years the Milton Club had become a weekly experience where he enjoyed socializing with his many, many friends, listening to music and swing dancing the nights away.