Our dear Kentucky Belle, Joyce Anne Browne (née Kipp) passed away peacefully on the evening of April 19th in her home in Scotts Valley, California, surrounded by all four of her children and her devoted husband Paul after a valiant battle with cancer.

Joyce was born on 9 May 1937 to Charles George Kipp and Helen Augustine Kipp (née Breitbeil). She was raised in Louisville, Kentucky, but her hopes, dreams, passions, and love for a man in uniform propelled her to many other destinations. She raised her children in California but never forgot her family roots in the South. She even relocated to Louisville temporarily during the final years of her husband’s career as a commercial pilot. Joyce was an avid reader, an accomplished creative writer, an extraordinary cook and entertainer, and a lover of fine art. Wherever she lived, she forged long-lasting friendships through Book and Writing Clubs, hosting dinner parties, luncheons, and many unforgettable Kentucky Derby events. Once her children were firmly on their life paths, she embarked on a series of entrepreneurial projects that included designing and selling fine art for many of the major technology companies in Silicon Valley with her company, Art Accents, selling the unique jewelry of Louisville designer, Carlton Ridge and cultivating her talent for creative writing with classes and penning many essays, poems and short stories.

Joyce loved the sunshine and the beach, and many family holiday memories are deeply embedded in the beautiful homes she created and decorated in Saratoga, Louisville, Capitola, and Santa Cruz, as well as vacations she organized in nearby Pajaro Dunes. Traveling was a passion that fueled her curiosity for other cultures and cuisines, with Italy, Greece, Ireland, and Paris, France, some of her all-time favorite destinations. Joyce was an active community member with her volunteer work at the Daisy Auxiliary, an arm of the Family Service Association.

She was a loyal friend to many and, in recent years, a fiercely competitive Mahjong player to which her husband, grandchildren, and fellow Mahjong enthusiasts can attest. Her sense of humor knew no bounds, and her hearty laugh will forever ring in our ears. Her flair for fashion and self-confidence in her style was noticed and admired by all.

Joyce is survived by her loving husband of 62 years, Paul, and their four children, Tim (Frances) Browne of Walnut Creek, Sean (Kari) Browne of Salinas, Megan Browne of Belgium, and Katy (Michael) Stamos of San Jose, four beloved grandchildren: Zoe and Sara Stamos; Olivia Browne and Lucas Marquardt, their father, Stephan Marquardt of Belgium, her three sisters Jean (Jack, deceased in 2018) Hanley, Mary Carol (Judge) Mosley and Susie (Doug) DeGaris all of Louisville, Kentucky and countless nieces, nephews, and cousins all over the globe.

Friends and family are invited to join us for a Mass of Christian Burial at San Agustín parish (257 Glenwood Drive Scotts Valley, CA 95066) on 3 June at 11 am; followed by a Celebration of Life gathering at 1 pm at Scotts Valley Community Center (370 Kings Village Road, Scotts Valley, CA 95066).

Please send condolences to Paul and family at 225 Mt. Hermon Road, Space 158, Scotts Valley, CA 95066.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations in Joyce’s name to the Daisy Auxiliary (www.fsa-cc.org/daisy/), the Susan G. Komen for the Cure (www.komen.org) and/or the Precious Life Shelter (www.preciouslifeshelter.org)

Please visit www.scmemorial.com if you would like to light a candle of leave a message in Joyce’s honor.

~ IN MEMORY ~      

USAF veteran, WA/DL Capt. Robert Thomas Brees

November 6, 1936 ~ May 1, 2021

Western/Delta pilot Captain Robert Thomas Brees, age 84. Bob was born in Ohio, raised/graduated from high school in California, attended San Diego State College, received his USAF pilot training and was attached to the 196^th Fighter Squadron and stationed at Ontario, attended San Bernardino Valley College, joined Western Airlines 04-25-1963, was based LAX, retired with Delta Air Lines in November 1996 and was based 030/PDX at time of retirement with Delta.   He had most recently resided at:

6211 Shady Ln SE, Lacey, WA 98503.

Death notices can be found online at 

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/kitsapsun/name/robert-brees-obituary?n=robert-brees&pid=198543651

https://mccombwagner.com/tribute/all-services/index.html?orderBy=service-date&search=brees

ROBERT THOMAS BREES

McComb & Wagner Family Funeral Home And Crematory – Shelton

~ IN MEMORY ~
USAF, WA/DL Major Carl Michael Bendik
August 11, 1941, ~ March 13, 2023

Beloved Major Carl Michael Bendik, 81, of Moon Township, PA and Marathon, FL, a proud veteran of the United States Air Force, passed away peacefully in Miami, FL, on Monday, March 13, 2023.

Born in McKeesport, PA, on August 11, 1941, Carl graduated from Clairton High School with a football scholarship awarded from Pennsylvania State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting.  After graduating from Penn State, he enlisted in the US Air Force in 1964.  Carl served in the Vietnam War and retired from active duty with the rank of Major.  After active duty, he remained in the reserves for several years, a true reflection and testament to his patriotism.  Carl began his 40+ year professional career in 1972 as a commercial airline pilot and retired from Delta Airlines with the rank of Captain. 

Carl was preceded in death by his parents, Michael John and Hedwig “June” (Mularski) Bendik, and his brother James Bendik. He is survived by his daughter, Amy (Scott) Dumas; son, Ted (Vanessa) Bendik; grandchildren Ian & AJ Bendik and Jack Dumas; sister, Marlene (Carl) Abrasheff; & 3 nieces, Lisa Szuhoza and Carla Abrasheff & Michelle (Brian) Laux. He will be dearly missed by all who knew and cherished his warm and wonderful spirit.

A viewing will be held from 9 – 10 am on Friday, March 24, 2023, at Stephen D. Slater Funeral Home, 1701 Route 51, Jefferson Hills, PA 15025, (412-384-0350) followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 am in Triumph of the Holy Cross Parish, St. Claire of Assisi Church (old St. Joseph Building) 460 Reed Street, Clairton, PA 15025, and burial with full Military Honors at 1 pm at the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies,1158 Morgan Road, Bridgeville, PA 15017.

 

~ IN MEMORY ~

Navy veteran, WA/DL Capt. Robert Godfrey Lyon Jr.

December 8, 1939 – February 22, 2023

Robert Godfrey Lyon Jr. passed away peacefully on the morning of February 22, 2023. He died at home surrounded by loved ones at the age of 83. Rob was born on December 8, 1939, in Atlanta, Georgia, to a large family that included a twin sister and three brothers. After graduating from Bowling Green State University, Robert joined the Navy as a naval aviator where he flew F-8 Crusaders in the Vietnam War. During his Navy years, Rob flew multiple active combat missions before ending his military career as a test pilot. As a civilian, Rob moved on to a career as an airline pilot, first with Western and later, Delta Air Lines, where he met his wife of 40 years, Robin. After retiring from the airlines, Robert and Robin began a non-profit rescuing abused and neglected animals and training them to visit nursing homes and hospitals. Lyon Ranch Therapy Animals has now been a Sonoma non-profit for nearly 25 years.

Rob is survived by his wife, Robin, two brothers, Bruce and Dean, four children, Tracy, Banning, William, and Lynette, and five grandchildren, Kenny, Cammie, Madi, Daisy, and Lark.

Condolences may be sent to the family at   

19221 Lyon Ranch Road,  Sonoma  CA  95476

Donations in Robert’s honor can be made to Lyon Ranch Therapy Animals through the website:

Lyonranch.org 

.

~ IN MEMORY ~

Navy veteran, WA/DL Capt. Richard Seth Wood

May 7, 1942 – February 22, 2023

Notice of passing…..retired Western/Delta pilot Captain Dick Wood, age 80.  Captain Wood joined Western Airlines on 08-22-1972 and retired with Delta Air Lines, based SLC/030.  He is survived by his wife Toni, and by his children and stepchildren and their families.  

For those who may wish to send a personal note, I see the family residence listed on the white pages as: 

1676 E 70 S, Heber City, UT 84032  

Richard Seth Wood, age 80 years, died peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, on February 22, 2023, after a long battle with dementia. He is survived by his devoted wife, Toni Wood, who saw him through every step of the journey. He is also survived by his two sons, John “Darin” and James “Daryl” Wood; grandchildren Gabrielle, Zephan, Maddox, and Brody; sister, Teddy Jr.; brothers, Jamie and David Wood; and his step-family, Lora, and Graham, Riley, Cole, Adam, Kyle Smith and Ezra and Cathy Walsh. Richard is preceded in death by his father Seth, mother, Teddy, and sister Laura.

Born in Rexburg, Idaho to Seth and Edna “Teddy” Wood, Richard was also known to some as “Dick,” or by his Naval Aviator call name, “Woody.” He was an adventurous soul who was given a second chance at life as a toddler and was saved from drowning by an Eagle Scout. Richard lived that second chance to the fullest. He loved motorcycle touring the west and abroad, golf and skiing, and was an accomplished marksman.

Richard was a 43-year sober member of AA and served for decades as an inspiration to others on the sobriety journey. Recently, he proudly told his son, Darin, “it worked,” playing on a famous quote from the 12 Steps.

Richard “Woody” served in the U.S. Navy as a Naval Aviator during the Vietnam war, completing many successful missions behind enemy lines. Later in his career, he worked as a Flight Captain at Western Airlines and at Delta Airlines until he retired in 2002.

Richard will be missed deeply by those who love him and by those he inspired throughout his life. His light and spirit will be passed through the generations.

In lieu of flowers, Richard requested consideration of a donation to The Wounded Warrior Project

A friends and family gathering will take place on Wednesday, March 1, 2023, from 10:00-10:45 AM with a funeral service to follow at 11:00 AM at the Old Mill 2nd Ward, 715 East 600 South, Heber City, Utah 84032.

Graveside services will take place on Friday, March 3, 2023, at 2:00 PM at the Rexburg Cemetery, 350 W Moran View Rd, Rexburg, ID 83440. 

~ IN MEMORY ~
WA/DL Capt. Peter ‘Pete’ Bonofiglio Jr.
August 1, 1934, ~ January 23, 2021

From friends and from an ancestry family tree posting we have learned that
retired Western/Delta pilot Capt. Peter Bonofiglio Jr., aged 86, has passed.
Born in New York state, and married in 1963, Captain Bonofiglio joined Western
Airlines 08-29-1966.  He retired from Delta Air Lines in August 1994, based
030/SLC at the time of his retirement.  Pete was widowed in October 2015
with the passing of his wife Martha Miller Bonofiglio.  

(If anyone has additional information please send it for us to append to this posting)

CALIFORNIA FLYING BIG BEAR’S JET…..November 5, 1999

Pete Bonofiglio, with his Czech-built Aero L-29 Delfin jet trainer, is a pilot for whom blue sky is an ever-present beacon. With some 30,000 hours in his logbooks, the retired Delta captain is always ready to roll.
 
The only jet based at California’s Big Bear City Airport, the Delfin — christened the Pasta Burnerrrrr, a name influenced by Bonofiglio’s Italian roots — is a fixture in the airspace over the high mountain community. “I should have named it the Lira Burnerrrrr,” he quips of the jet, which burns 150 gallons of fuel an hour. The Pasta Burnerrrrr also has been featured at a number of airshows, garnering First Place Jet at the 1997 Camarillo Air Show and First Place Warbird at the 1998 Big Bear Air Show.
 
The Delfin, Bonofiglio says, is a counterpart to the Lockheed T-33 jet trainer. In 1961, the Delfin became the standard advanced trainer of the Warsaw Pact countries. Bonofiglio’s warbird was built in Prague, Czechoslovakia, in 1968. It redlines at 368 knots, cruises at 270 kt indicated, has a maximum speed of Mach 0.7, and is certified to fly up to 39,000 feet. “It’ll pull eight Gs positive, six negative,” Bonofiglio says.
 
A member of the Classic Jet Aircraft Association, Bonofiglio is one of a growing number of people who roar through the skies in jet airplanes that have come out of retirement. Depending on the day and the destination, he has invited others to go along — making flights of fantasy a reality for dozens of passengers.
 
Though skies above Big Bear are frequently wind-swept, the solidly built Delfin barely appears to notice, moving as if there was not even a ripple in the air. “It’s built like a Sherman tank,” Bonofiglio says, rapping the jet with his knuckles. “The wing skin is thicker than your car bumper.”
 
When Bonofiglio flies with passengers, he has a typical routine that leaves them astounded, nearly breathless, and happy for whatever it took to make the trip to Big Bear City Airport. “I like to do maneuvers abeam the airport, at a safe altitude,” he says, “so their families and friends can get videos. It’s a lot of fun.”
 
Bonofiglio adds that passengers, who must be at least 18 years old for insurance purposes, are equally split between men and women, but he observes that women “are more aggressive than men” when it comes to aerobatics. Sensitive to his passengers’ beginner status in the cockpit, he is careful with limits. “Most people like to do the rolls and high Gs,” he says. “Those are fine, but I won’t do violent maneuvers. They’re not trained for that.”
 
Passengers, sitting where the radar officer would be on a standard training flight, are told how to release the webbing of straps that fasten them tightly to the rear seat, how to open and close the canopy, and how to release their parachute in the event that a quick exit from the jet is needed. “I don’t want the plane going down with you in it,” he says, explaining the timing and succession of events that must be followed in the event of an emergency. He adds that the Delfin, which does not have ejection seats, would be inverted just before pilot and passenger push away from the airplane and fall to earth.
 
The briefing also heightens the sense of excitement that goes along with the ride. It’s a tiny taste of the real thing — what it’s like to prepare for a mission.
 
There’s a panel of instruments in the rear that allows passengers to monitor such parameters as airspeed, vertical speed, and G forces. There’s also an intercom so that passengers, never out of touch, can hear radio calls and communicate with the pilot.
 
On takeoff, the ground falls away like a caterpillar’s cocoon, and with a climb rate of 1,500 feet per minute, it soon seems a world apart. The Delfin is in its element, and the aerial ballet begins. When Bonofiglio lifts the nose and pulls the stick to the left, the jet leans into a precision 360-degree roll. The scene through the canopy is like a view through the looking glass. In a heartbeat, the ground and sky change places. As the jet glides through loops and rolls, clouds blend with earth in a kaleidoscopic panorama.
 
At cruising speed, the Delfin is surprisingly quiet. During a high-speed pass, the air seems to scream past the canopy. A pullout and a roll at the end of the high-speed run measure gut levels of endurance and fortitude, as well as offering a quick check of how well head and neck are attached to shoulders. Passengers can call it quits at any time. Bonofiglio says that no one ever has.
 
Bonofiglio has always been a dauntless pilot. When he began flying in the early 1960s and worked as a pilot and A&P mechanic for Don Barber at Riverside Air Service, his career literally took off when the gutsy pilot/mechanic, wearing greasy overalls, managed a tarmac interview with the chief pilot from Zantop Airlines. Did Bonofiglio have a suit and tie, and could he be in Detroit in five days? Answering, “Yes, and yes,” Bonofiglio was hired on the spot. He went on to fly for Western Airlines, becoming a captain at age 41. Western was bought out by Delta in 1987, and Bonofiglio retired as a Delta captain in August 1994.
 
Flying long before metal detectors were imperative to airport security, Bonofiglio’s career spanned the evolution of commercial aviation. He holds the industry distinction of having received the most bomb threats — five in all. “Three times we had to return to the gate,” he says. “And we had two evacuations right on the runway. One of the evacuations was on a flight from Minneapolis to Hawaii. None of the passengers had overcoats; they were all wearing shorts. It was January and 20 degrees below. We were out there for an hour before anybody came for the passengers. We just kicked the chutes out and got people off the plane. Nobody thought about grabbing blankets.”
 
Another flight resulted in a four-hour onboard party in the wake of a near disaster. “We were flying the entire cast of Airport ’77 to Alaska,” Bonofiglio recalls. “And we blew out the tires on the runway. It was funny — that whole movie was about airport disaster, and here we were with Charlton Heston. I asked him if he was responsible for all this.”
 
While repairs were made to the airplane, Bonofiglio’s crew and Heston’s crew mingled aboard the Western jet. “They told us all about making the movie, how stunts were done on the set,” Bonofiglio says. “We had a really good time with them. When the movie premiered in Alaska, we all got invited.”
 
Looking back over his career, Bonofiglio misses the “old” days. “There was a lot more camaraderie in the early years,” he muses. “It’s different now. Crews worked as a team and played as a team. We’d all take three or four days off and go skiing or fishing together. It’s not the same anymore. Now every time you land, you’ve got different airplanes, different crews, different gates, different flight numbers. You don’t know who you’ve got back there.”
 
He believes that a positive change in the industry is in-creased safety. “As far as quality and de-pendability, planes are a lot safer now. This new generation of planes is a hundred percent better than before. Now you can fly for years and never have a problem.”
 
But Bonofiglio enjoys flying his current steed, even if it is a jet from an earlier generation. If you’re ever in the neighborhood, stop by Bonofiglio’s hangar at Big Bear City Airport. If he’s on his way out, you might get lucky and get to go for the ride of a lifetime.

~ IN MEMORY ~

Military veteran, WA/DL Capt. James Leroy Williams

MAY 25, 1943 – FEBRUARY 1, 2023

Notice of passing….retired Western/Delta pilot Captain James Leroy Williams, age 79.  Jim joined Western Airlines on 03-05-1973 and retired from Delta Air Lines, based in LAX.  He is survived by his wife Elizabeth, and by his three children and their families.

A retired U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander pilot and later Captain with Delta Airlines, he was a man of innumerable talents, a jack of all trades, and a true renaissance man. He was known for his generosity, his unflappable demeanor, and his dry sense of humor. He was a man of few words but when he did choose to speak, he would have you doubled over with his hilarity, charm, and wit. However, he would most like to be remembered as a man of faith who loved the Lord and his family with all of his heart.

Jim broke his femur while playing on a scooter. Surgery was successful to replace the broken bones and rehab was going extremely well until blood clots formed and he suffered a pulmonary embolism which led to cardiac arrest. He fought valiantly to the very end but could not overcome the numerous health challenges that plagued his recovery. He is survived by Elizabeth, his bride of 56 years, their 3 children: Troy, Keri, and Erik, and his wife, Leslie, with grandchildren Havilah and Elias, his brother, Jerry Williams, sister-in-law, Chris Williams, and stepfather, Jim Hurtado.

Memorial Service: Friday, Feb. 24, 2023, from 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

SOUTH SHORES CHURCH

32712 Crown Valley Parkway

Dana Point, CA 92629

Obituary information

By T.M. Shultz
The Daily Courier

He wasn’t there long enough to name his plane.

It was March 29, 1944, and Prescott Valley retiree William “Bill” Newell was a skinny 19-year-old fighter pilot serving in Debden, England.  He had been there a month.  Already he had gone on 12 missions, either escorting waves of American bombers into Germany or just prowling the skies, looking for Germans to shoot down.

Most pilots painted names on their planes. If Newell had been there longer, he says, he would have named his P-51 Mustang “Miss Pat” after his wife, Patricia. Patricia was living with her parents in Dearborn, Mich., patiently waiting for her young husband to return.

They were high school sweethearts, married just weeks before Newell left for England. He loved her from the moment he first saw her.  He missed her terribly.

The day of his 13th mission dawned, but he did not think it was an omen. He did not believe in such things. Still, as he washed and shaved in the pre-dawn hours and then sat through the mission briefing, Newell felt uneasy. “For some unknown reason that morning, I was a little bit more nervous than I’d ever been before,” Newell recalled. He shrugged it off.

The mission was to meet up with bombers over Brunswick, Germany, and escort them back to England.

“As we were approaching Brunswick – we hadn’t gotten in contact with the bombers yet – this group of FW-190s came busting through the formation,” Newell recounted. Widely regarded as Germany’s best fighter, the Focke Wulf 190 bristled with 20 mm canons and machine guns.

“I got hit with a cannon shell,” Newell said. “All I could feel was this big thump. At first I thought I was on fire because the cockpit filled with what I thought was smoke. It was really coolant from the engine. All this coolant misted and came up into the cockpit and just kind of glazed everything inside the cockpit with a fine oil.”

He had to slide the side windows open to see. He wanted to bail out.

“I remember grabbing the emergency release handle,” Newell said. The canopy did not jettison. Instead, the handle broke off and he knew he could get out only if he forced the canopy open by hand. He decided to wait. 

“I started climbing the airplane back up, because by this time, I was down to about 8,000 feet.” If he could catch up to his fellow pilots, they would guide him back to England.

Fifteen minutes later two planes from his group swung in beside him.

One was piloted by Dominic Gentile. The other was flown by John Godfrey. Both were famous fighter aces, claiming several “kills” apiece. The trio flew together for 10 minutes until Newell’s engine overheated.This time his plane – billowing smoke – really was on fire.

He pried open the canopy and jumped.

“I don’t think I waited 10 seconds to pull the chute handle,” Newell said, laughing. “They always said, ‘Count to 10 before you pull the ripcord.’ I didn’t. I jumped and pulled.”

The descent seemed to take forever. He had time to pull his boots back on after the force of the opening parachute yanked them half off his feet. He was falling into a field complete with two gun-toting German farmers. He slammed into the ground, but miraculously was unhurt.

“German soldiers came up in a car and took me to the nearest town,” Newell said. After interrogation, the Germans transferred him to a prison camp near Barth, Germany. Newell remained at Stalag Luft 1 through his 20th and 21st birthdays until shortly after the Russian army liberated the camp on April 30, 1945.

Newell said the Germans never mistreated him, although food was scarce and wormy. The prisoners showered once a month, lost weight and grew ill. At the end, after the Russians came, Newell saw murdered women and children lying just outside the camp. But through it all, he never had any doubts he would survive. 

“I was only 19 years old,” Newell said. “I was just a kid. Thoughts like that never entered my head.”
What did worry him was his wife. For the first three months after Newell was shot down, officials told Patricia only that he was missing in action. The heart-wrenching news came unceremoniously by telegram. Later, she wrote long letters and sent packages to him, saving up her food ration stamps to buy her husband chocolate bars that the Germans ate.

What sustained Newell throughout his ordeal was pictures of his wife – especially one with a lock of her hair carefully tucked inside its plastic wrapping. He has faithfully carried that picture in his wallet ever since. 

When Newell finally went home, all Patricia knew was that her husband was somewhere in the United States. She did not know he was heading straight for Dearborn.

“I just showed up in the middle of the night at the front door,” Newell recalled, smiling.

When Patricia answered his knock, she cried.

Not one for introspection, Newell has not thought much about how his war experiences have affected him. 

“Those things are hard to understand,” says Newell, now 83. 

What counted most in his life, he continues, was the 32-year stint after the war that he spent as a pilot with Western Airlines. 

And his four children. And the wife he loved for more than 63 years. He still remembers their first date, their first kiss. He’ll always remember. Patricia died three months ago.

“No, I really can’t point to anything that I would say has changed me in any way,” Newell says, pausing.

“Except, really, the loss of my wife.”

Was she proud of him? 

“Oh yes,” Newell replied. ” And I was proud of her.”

~In Memory of~

Carolyn Harriet Smith, wife of WA/DL Capt. Gordon Smith

July 22, 1936 ~ January 6, 2023

Notice of passing, Mrs. Carolyn Harriet Smith, age 86, wife of retired Western/Delta pilot Captain Gordon Kay Smith.  Carolyn is survived by her husband, and by their children and their grand- and great-grandchildren.  Captain Smith joined Western Airlines on 04-18-1966 and retired from Delta Air Lines. 

Condolences may be sent to:

MacKenzie Place, Apt. 417
1605 Elm Creek View
Colorado Springs, CO 80907-7187

A memorial service celebrating Carolyn’s life will be held on January 21st….please see the arrangements below.

Carolyn H. Smith, age 86, of Loveland, Colorado, passed away peacefully and entered into the full presence of the Lord on January 6, 2023. She was a devoted wife, homemaker, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She is survived by her husband of 63 years, Gordon K. Smith, sister, Winnelle (Jack) Newton, two children, Stan (Cindy) Smith and Angela (Tim) McKibben, five grandchildren (Tyler Smith, Hailey Brown, Alysha Cooper, Laura Trujillo, and Holly McKibben), and four great-grandchildren (Levi, Ruby, Nolan, and Ava). She is preceded in death by her parents, Garland Reed Harris and Florence Janelle Harris.

Carolyn was born on July 22, 1936, in Ryan, Oklahoma. Her family later moved to Belton, Missouri, where she met Gordon in 8th grade. Gordon and Carolyn graduated from Belton High School, and Carolyn went on to earn her teaching degree from Baker University. Following Gordon’s graduation from the University of Missouri, they married on June 14, 1959. Carolyn taught second grade in Belton and after their wedding, taught school in Pensacola, Florida, while Gordon was in Naval Air Basic Training. Gordon’s service in the Navy took them to Norfolk, Virginia, where they welcomed their first child, Stan. After Gordon’s military service, he began a career as a pilot, and they lived in Geneseo, Illinois, where they welcomed their second child, Angela. Eventually, Gordon became a pilot for Western Airlines, followed by Delta Airlines, and they made their home in Colorado. They lived many years in Littleton, Longmont, and most recently, Loveland, Colorado.

Carolyn’s joy throughout her life was caring for her husband, children, and their home. She loved attending church, cooking for her family, gardening, working on puzzles, and filling their home with treasured antiques (both family heirlooms and ones found “antiquing”). Carolyn also devoted many hours to creating beautiful, counted cross-stitch works of art.

A memorial service honoring Carolyn’s life will be held at First United Methodist Church, 420 N. Nevada Avenue, Colorado Springs, at 2 pm on January 21st. Carolyn will be laid to rest at Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver, Colorado. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Salvation Army.

~ IN MEMORY ~

WA/DL Captain Melvin Rozema

September 23, 1939 ~ December 14, 2022

Mel was born in Chugwater, Wyoming on September 23, 1939, to parents Bessie Rozema (née Ferguson) and Harry Rozema. He was the third of four children. He grew up on the family farm, and in 1946 they moved from Wyoming to Utah.

In June of 1957, Mel borrowed $100 from his father for private flying lessons. He was determined to learn to fly, citing his fascination with birds and their effortless flight and a little yellow crop duster that landed at a neighboring farm when he was a child as motivating factors. Mel worked his way through school, became a flight instructor, and then began flying for the United States Postal Service, the Atomic Energy Commission, the United States Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, Idaho Fish and Game, as well as being a charter pilot. He later became an airline pilot, flying for Western and Delta Airlines, retiring after 33 years. He continued with his hobby plane, a Cessna 180. He enjoyed backcountry flying, often landing to fish, camp, and pan for gold in the wilderness. After retiring from flight because of his age – he channeled his energy into remote control airplanes until his eyesight declined.

He married Sharol ‘Sherry’ Garner in 1961 and they started a family. Ken, Lane, and Karen were raised in the home they built in Centerville, Utah. Together they instilled in their children a love of the great outdoors – camping, snowmobiling, gardening, and traveling.

He cherished his grandchildren, Alyssa and Colton. He held dear to his heart his time with his four great-grandchildren: Adalyn, Arden, Ellie, and Aven. Visits with his family brought him true joy and he was very proud of his children.

He served as the airport manager and fought tirelessly for SkyPark Airport in Woods Cross, Utah for many years. You could often find him mowing the grass or plowing the snow because he took pride in all of his work. Mel loved working in the wood shop at his hangar at the airport, carefully crafting intricate chess and domino sets, beautiful wooden clocks, and furniture. His talent and precision were remarkable.

He enjoyed mingling with his many beloved friends at the Down Under, Sunshine Cafe, Alice’s Cafe, and Ramblin Roads. He had countless lifelong friends and amazing neighbors that he shared many hunting and camping trips, barbecues, and shenanigans with.

In February 2013, he suffered a terrible loss when his loving and loyal wife, Sherry, passed away. After that he felt like a piece of him was missing and he never truly recovered. I can recall him often saying, “I’ve lost my mate and now I don’t know what to do.”

Mel was as stubborn as they come and rough around the edges, but his old age and humbling life experiences brought in a tenderness that we rejoiced in. He always gave wise advice, he was generous and forgiving. He loved cracking jokes, watching NASCAR and Jazz games with Sherry, canning tomatoes, working in the garden and he made one hell of a brisket.

In October of 2022, Mel was diagnosed with throat and lymphatic cancer and he came prepared to fight. Karen was by his side every single day, at every medical appointment, and cared for him selflessly during his battle. After beginning treatment, he and his body decided he could no longer carry on and he passed away at Lakeview Hospital in the company of his devoted daughter and faithful son-in-law, Jeff.

Mel is survived by Ken Rozema and Amy Stoker of Salt Lake City, UT; Lane Rozema of New York City, NY; Karen and Jeff Argyle of Centerville, UT; Alyssa, Adalyn, Arden and Aven Argyle of South Ogden, UT; Colton, Jordan and Ellie Argyle of Centerville, UT.

A celebration of life will be held in April of 2023 at SkyPark Airport. If you are interested in attending, please email celebratingmel2023@gmail.com