We lost our legend “Herman the German”. He will be missed by all!
Dick
“DICK: EILEEN JUST SENT ME THIS, AND I WANTED TO GET IT TO YOU SO YOU CAN POST IT FOR THE WALLYBIRDS….HERM WAS A GREAT GUY AND WILL DEARLY BE MISSED. STAN FRANKSANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE CALL ME AT 805-312-0192 [cell]I would appreciate it if you would acknowledge receipt of the Obituary for Hermann! SF
Captain Hermann Schmidt Flew West on July 29th, 2020 from Santa Rosa California. He was born in 1936 in Germany, and emigrated to the US in 1960. He was hired by Western Air Lines in 1967. He retired from Delta Airlines in 2004. He was a true adventurer. He escaped East Germany and the Russian Air Force where he was a fighter pilot, flying the MIG-15. HE then got his Marine Engineer Degree at Duetz Diesel in Cologne Germany. He traveled the world on large cargo ships as a Marine Engineer, and also worked with commercial fishing vessels in Alaska for many years. He will be missed so much by his wife of 34 years, Eileen, his niece Kathryn Thurman and great niece and nephew. He will also be missed by his nieces and nephew, and great nephews in Dusseldorf, Germany.
Reginald A. Hearn, and good Friend Retired Captain, WAL/DAL passed away at 0100 on May 22nd due to complications of a previous bladder issue.Reg was intending to marry Ms. Judy Hill.A memorial is planned for October 24th at Palm Springs Community Presbyterian Church. Cards and letters of condolence may be addressed to :The Family of Reg Hearn77915 Cherokee RoadIndian Wells, CA 92210.
I received this message today from Captain Bob Poole. Another GOOD guy gone west Dick
Sorry to report but Henry Best passed away last Sunday, July 19th after a short illness. Private services will be held in North Carolina sometime next week. More information to follow.
Print Raymond Kulper passed away on March 28, 2020 at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center in Portland, Oregon. Raymond was born on November 10, 1940 and was 79 years of age at the time of his passing.
Arrangements are under the direction of Anderson’s Tribute Center (Funerals • Receptions • Cremations) 1401 Belmont Avenue, Hood River, Oregon 97031. Visit www.AndersonsTributeCenter.com to leave a note of condolence for the family.
Word from the Greer family has reached us with news of the passing of Delta Golden Wings member retired Western Airlines pilot Captain Joe Carroll Greer, age 85. Widowed in October 2019 with the passing of his wife Ruby, Captain Greer is survived by his children and grandchildren.
Obituary information for Capt. Greer is available online at
Joe Carroll Greer, 85, of Westlake Village passed away May 19 with his family by his side. Born Feb. 24, 1935, in Memphis, Tenn., Joe traveled the world and lived in many places, including Spokane, Wash.; Pensacola, Fla.; San Diego; New Orleans; the Philippines and Guam. For the past 46 years, he has called Westlake Village his home. Born the son of an aviation pioneer, he had a love for aviation running through his veins and served in the United States Navy and also flew for Western Airlines. In 1957, as an ensign, he was selected as the Outstanding Naval Aviation Cadet from a field of 3,100 students who received their wings that year. He flew fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft and sailed on two deployments serving in HS-6 and VS-21 anti-submarine squadrons. He is credited with 37 rescues by helicopter and also found himself being rescued in 1959 after ditching a Sikorsky HSS-1N in the South China Sea during a typhoon that caused a sea state of 8. In 1960, he was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal. He retired as a Lieutenant Commander from the Navy and was qualified in 21 different aircraft. After retirement he transitioned into airline flying and loved going to the Hawaiian Islands. A kind, thoughtful and respectful man, he had a passion for taking photos and seeing the beauty in nature. He will be missed by many and he will miss socializing with friends at Eggs ’n’ Things. Joe’s wife of 62 years, Ruby, passed away in October 2019. He is survived by daughter Becky, her husband, Jerry, and their son, Tanner; and son Joe, his wife, Kelly, and their daughters Emily and Allison.
Word from the Greer family has reached us with news of the passing of Delta Golden Wings member retired Western Airlines pilot Captain Joe Carroll Greer, age 85. Widowed in October 2019 with the passing of his wife Ruby, Captain Greer is survived by his children and grandchildren.
Obituary information for Capt. Greer is available online at
Joe Carroll Greer, 85, of Westlake Village passed away May 19 with his family by his side. Born Feb. 24, 1935, in Memphis, Tenn., Joe traveled the world and lived in many places, including Spokane, Wash.; Pensacola, Fla.; San Diego; New Orleans; the Philippines and Guam. For the past 46 years, he has called Westlake Village his home. Born the son of an aviation pioneer, he had a love for aviation running through his veins and served in the United States Navy and also flew for Western Airlines. In 1957, as an ensign, he was selected as the Outstanding Naval Aviation Cadet from a field of 3,100 students who received their wings that year. He flew fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft and sailed on two deployments serving in HS-6 and VS-21 anti-submarine squadrons. He is credited with 37 rescues by helicopter and also found himself being rescued in 1959 after ditching a Sikorsky HSS-1N in the South China Sea during a typhoon that caused a sea state of 8. In 1960, he was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal. He retired as a Lieutenant Commander from the Navy and was qualified in 21 different aircraft. After retirement he transitioned into airline flying and loved going to the Hawaiian Islands. A kind, thoughtful and respectful man, he had a passion for taking photos and seeing the beauty in nature. He will be missed by many and he will miss socializing with friends at Eggs ’n’ Things. Joe’s wife of 62 years, Ruby, passed away in October 2019. He is survived by daughter Becky, her husband, Jerry, and their son, Tanner; and son Joe, his wife, Kelly, and their daughters Emily and Allison.
Word from the Greer family has reached us with news of the passing of Delta Golden Wings member retired Western Airlines pilot Captain Joe Carroll Greer, age 85. Widowed in October 2019 with the passing of his wife Ruby, Captain Greer is survived by his children and grandchildren.
Obituary information for Capt. Greer is available online at
Joe Carroll Greer, 85, of Westlake Village passed away May 19 with his family by his side. Born Feb. 24, 1935, in Memphis, Tenn., Joe traveled the world and lived in many places, including Spokane, Wash.; Pensacola, Fla.; San Diego; New Orleans; the Philippines and Guam. For the past 46 years, he has called Westlake Village his home. Born the son of an aviation pioneer, he had a love for aviation running through his veins and served in the United States Navy and also flew for Western Airlines. In 1957, as an ensign, he was selected as the Outstanding Naval Aviation Cadet from a field of 3,100 students who received their wings that year. He flew fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft and sailed on two deployments serving in HS-6 and VS-21 anti-submarine squadrons. He is credited with 37 rescues by helicopter and also found himself being rescued in 1959 after ditching a Sikorsky HSS-1N in the South China Sea during a typhoon that caused a sea state of 8. In 1960, he was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal. He retired as a Lieutenant Commander from the Navy and was qualified in 21 different aircraft. After retirement he transitioned into airline flying and loved going to the Hawaiian Islands. A kind, thoughtful and respectful man, he had a passion for taking photos and seeing the beauty in nature. He will be missed by many and he will miss socializing with friends at Eggs ’n’ Things. Joe’s wife of 62 years, Ruby, passed away in October 2019. He is survived by daughter Becky, her husband, Jerry, and their son, Tanner; and son Joe, his wife, Kelly, and their daughters Emily and Allison.
Ruby Rebecca Greer, 81, of Westlake Village passed away October 15, 2019 with her family by her side. Born June 27, 1938 in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, Ruby has lived in many places to include; Pensacola, San Diego, New Orleans and Guam, but for the past 45 years she has called Westlake Village her home. As a dental hygienist she touched many people in the community. Her interests included racquetball, traveling in the motorhome, gardening and cooking. She was highly skilled with knitting needles and a crochet hook. She also played the piano. Ruby also liked to travel with trips to Canada, Germany, Japan, the Philippines and to visit relatives in the United States. She leaves behind many close friends and will be truly missed. We have lost a genuine person who was always so giving of her time, love, support and comfort but she will live on in our memories and stories. Ruby was a dedicated wife and mother. She especially loved her role as Nana. She is survived by Joe, her husband of 62 years, Becky her daughter, Becky’s husband Jerry and their son Tanner, and Joe her son, Joe’s wife Kelly and their daughters Emily and Allison.
Received this from Joe Hagen today. . We lost another GOOD man. Dick
Capt. Duane (Dewey) Gerrard has flown west this morning and has returned to his Heavenly Home with Honor, to his fellow man and to his Eternal Father in Heaven.I had the privilege if dispatching Dewey on his retirement flight in 1998 (DL 1534 OKC-SLC B727). Be assured, he has sufficient fuel for his flight west. WX is CAVU, No alternate is required.
As noted recently in ALPA’s In Memoriam column, the passing of retired pilot Norman Alton Hortman II, age 81. From what I can determine, Norman flew for Western Airlines prior to the Western/Delta merger. He is survived by his wife Barbara along with his children and grandchildren.
For those wishing to contact the family, whitepages lists their residence as
If more news is received we can then pass it along.
Thank you,
Obituary……………………
September 26, 1938 – January 30, 2020
Norman Alton Hortman Jr. Valley Center Norman was born in West Virginia to Norman Adelbert Hortman and Elizabeth Harris Reed. Norman is survived by his childhood sweetheart and wife of 62 years, Barbara Lorraine Jenei, his two children: Norman and Kim, and 5 grandchildren. Norman was a commercial pilot and was well known through his business dealings. Norman’s memorial will be at Emmanuel Faith Church in Escondido on February 15, at 1:30 P.M.
F/O
Duane Milton Koski, age 78, passed away July 28, 2019. Duane joined
Western Airlines 01-10-1972 and retired with Delta Air Lines, based
PDX/030. Obituary information is available online at
Obituary……………
Duane Milton Koski, 78, a long-time resident of Clark County, WA,
passed away July 28, 2019. He was born to Helmi and Jalmer Koski in
Ventura, CA on April 19, 1941. He grew up on the Koski family farm in
Brush Prairie, WA, which he loved and ran for many years.
Duane graduated from Oregon State University with a degree in Horticulture.
He also loved flying; he was a Naval test pilot and a commercial airline pilot, flying for Western and Delta.
Duane
is survived by his son, William “Matt” Koski (Jill); daughter, Peni
Koski and their mother, Nancy Koski; and sisters, Karolyn (Hugh)
Albrecht and Lois Thompson.
Belated news, as noted in ALPA’s In Memoriam column, the passing of WA/DL Capt. George J. Hash…….
~ IN MEMORY ~
USAF veteran, WA/DL Capt. George Jefferay Hash
April 5, 1938 – December 27, 2019
Captain
George Jefferay Hash, age 81, passed away on December 27th in Torrance,
California. Captain Hash joined Western Airlines 10-07-1968 and
retired with Delta Air Lines based LAX. He is survived by his wife
Roxanne, his children and his grandchildren, plus many other close
family members.
Obituary…………
George Jefferay Hash; age 81; died unexpectedly on December 27th; 2019
in Torrance; CA.; George is survived by his wife; Roxanne Marie
Graf-Hash; of 41years; of Hermosa Beach CA; his daughter Laura Phillips
of Hockley TX; his son Michael Hash of Rancho Cucamonga; CA; his
Grandsons Sean Lute of Northridge CA and Nicholas Rhine of Savannah GA;
his Granddaughter; Christine Morrissey of Riverside CA; his Great
Grandchildren Evania and Joaquin Lute; Jane and; Hadley Rhine and Conrad
Morrissey. His surviving siblings are Nina Clausen of De Moines IA; Joe
Hash of Citrus Heights CA; Elaine Slivka of Yucaipa CA; Donald Hash of
Spanaway; WA; Donna Mairet of Placentia CA.; ‘’
George
was born on April 5th; 1938 at Baguio in the Philippines; to parents
Robert and Glennell Hash.; He graduated from Polytechnic High School in
Long Beach CA in 1956. He studied at Long Beach City College; in Long
Beach Ca; Ohio University in Athens Ohio; College of Great Falls in
Great Falls MT; and Graduated in 1966 with a Bachelor of Science degree
from Texas Christian University in Ft Worth Tx.;
In
1957 George joined the Air Force. During his tour of duty in Vietnam he
flew the KC-97 & KC-135 stratotankers that refueled inflight
tactical fighters & bombers.; He was decorated with the Aerial
Achievement Medal and the Air Force Commendation Medal for; prolonged
acts of heroism & meritorious service. He retired as a Major from
active duty after 11 years and continued his service in the reserves.;
George
started flying for Western Airlines in October; 1968. He flew the 707;
720; 737; DC 10 & 727. After 18 years Western merged with Delta
where he flew Captain on the 737; 727; 757&767 until retirement.;
George was a great family man; a loving father; grandfather; and great
grandfather; not only to his own children but also to his nieces;
nephews; and cousins. Many of them lived with and were nurtured by
George and Roxie for years.;
Sports;
George loved them! You would find him snow skiing; water skiing;
boating; fishing; swimming; on a wave runner or just watching football
on TV.; He and Roxanne were privileged to travel to many exciting
places; usually accompanied by their good friends. They traveled to
China; cruised the Three Gorges River there and walked on the Great
Wall. Touring Israel they saw the places where the patriarchs &
Jesus walked. They sailed up the Nile River in Egypt and saw the
pyramids. A Baltic cruise to St Petersburg a sail up the Rhine River
from Budapest to Amsterdam; Greece; Italy; Hawaii; Canada and Alaska
were all favorite destinations.
After
retirement; the beautiful Residence Club Vidanta in Nuevo Vallarta;
Mexico became a yearly spot for rest and relaxation.; George had a
personal relationship with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He was
deeply involved in Marriage and Family Life Marriage Ministry with
Roxanne along with hosting a mini church in their home for many years.
They were part of the team for Cleansing Stream Ministries and were
strong supporters of water wells for Africa; where he was treasurer.
They
were members of Hope Chapel in Hermosa Beach CA from 1979 through 2000
and The Breakwater Four Square Church in Redondo Beach CA from 2001. He
was faithful to the men’s prayer group and served on the church
council.; He will be greatly missed by those who called him a gentle
giant and felt the light of his love.