Due to a disappointing response, the proposed luncheon for

Thursday, February 16th at Fairview Metropolitan is cancelled

Stay tuned for a more thorough explanation of how the luncheons AND

The Wallybird Website are maintained

~ IN MEMORY ~

Navy veteran, WAL/DL Capt. William “Bill” Fulgham

December 29, 1934 ~ November 4, 2022

We have sad news to share this morning…..from family we have learned of the passing of retired Western/Delta pilot Captain William “Bill” Raleigh Fulgham, age 87.  Bill joined Western Airlines 02-27-1961 and was based LAX & SLC, then 030/PDX at the time of his retirement with Delta Air Lines.  Bill is survived by his wife WA/DL F/A MarySue Lewis Fulgham, and by his children and their families.   

As was Bill’s wishes, no services were held. 

Thank you,

~ Carol for the PCN  

Obituary :   William R. Bill Fulgham passed away November 4, 2022. Bill suffered a heart attack just as he completed his daily early morning walk. 

Bill was born in Overton, Texas, December 29, 1934. When he was 6 months old, the family moved to Squaw Valley, CA, in the foothills outside of Fresno. His family relocated to Avenal, CA, and he graduated from Avenal High School in 1952. Bill joined the Navy after graduation. He later attended Spartan School of Aeronautics in Tulsa, OK, earning his A&P license. When Bill returned to California, he earned his private pilot license and, acquiring all the necessary training and flight hours, in 1961 he was hired as a pilot by Western Airlines. 

In 1959 he married Martha Joyce Wilkins and they had 2 sons. After mandatory retirement in 1994, Bill and Joyce spent a year cruising Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands until her death in early 1996. 

In 1998 Bill married MarySue Lewis and they moved to Ridgefield, WA. They continued cruising for a few years and travelled as far north as Skagway, Alaska, and as far south as Manzanillo, Mexico. 

Bill loved his career as an airline pilot. He flew the DC-6, Boeing 737, 727, 757 & 767, and MD-11. He survived the Western/Delta merger but Western Airlines was always first in his heart. Bill was happy to tell you that once he was hired by Western Airlines, he never again worked a day in his life. Going to the airport to fly, see the country and spend the day with great people certainly could not be considered work.

Bill is survived by his wife, MarySue, sons Andrew and Bryan Fulgham, Scott Compton, 2 amazing daughters-in-law Teresa Fulgham and Heather Compton, and 5 well loved grandchildren Samantha, Sydney and Kevin Fulgham and Jack and Luke Compton. He will be deeply missed by all that knew and loved him.

In spite of some Covid casualties, we had a group of nineteen Wallybirds, Quiet Birdmen

and their guests, some who made the effort from quite a distance.

Thanks to our in house docents, Allan Cartwright and Tony Schoemehl who uncovered many

of the mysteries of the gallant CV12. We received some very positive responses and thanks for

those tours.

Allan reported a very generous donation to the Ship/Museum of $380.

He said that anytime we should choose to have another luncheon there that the “ship”

would certainly welcome us

My proofreading is not foolproof.

My apologies to Allan Cartwright for inadvertently shortening his family name

in the previous post. please forgive me Allan.

Our Navy vets will fondly recall that thunderous greeting from the ship’s 1MC or PA system.

All Wallybirds, their friends, wives and husbands are invited to our quarterly luncheon, this time aboard the USS HORNET – AIR and SPACE MUSEUM

707 Hornet Avenue, Pier 3 in Alameda

Thursday 21 July

Time: 1230 PDT

Docent and Fellow Wallybird, Allan Wright has arranged for us to meet in the Officers’ Wardroom where we might partake of a box lunch and briefly discuss the future of the SFO Area Wallybird Luncheons and that of our Wallybird website.

Allan has managed to get us aboard on a normal “off day” for the ship and so admission is free but a donation of $20 or so will contribute to the continued operation of this very famous museum.

Checks may be made out to: The USS Hornet-Air & Space Museum.

Following our meeting, Allan and fellow docent, Tony Schoemehl will conduct a couple tours either topside or below deck. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes to enable you to negotiate the ladders.

Please RSVP to Paul at <pjbro@sbcglobal.net> (Captain Curt has fled the country)

Good news! Our quarterly luncheon is ON for Thursday, 21 April!

We have room for four (4) more so let Paul AND Curt know if you can make it.

See the Wallybird post of 28 March for more details

If we don’t have the required minimum attendance of twenty responding by Monday 10 April we will have to cancel the planned SFO Wallybird Luncheon once again.

If you intend to attend, please reply to BOTH Paul AND Curt at

<pjbro@sbcglobal.net> and <curt@taylorsinpv.com

Respond even if you have previously responded as planning to attend.

~ IN MEMORY ~

USAF veteran, WA/DL Roderick Montgomery Duncan

September 27, 1934 – April 2, 2022

Notice of passing…..retired Western/Delta pilot Roderick Montgomery “Rod” “Monty” Duncan, age 87, of Butte, Montana.  Captain Duncan joined Western Airlines 06-05-1967 and retired with Delta Air Lines in 1994 based LAX. He is survived by his wife Kay and their blended family of children and extended family members.

Obituary information is available online at Butte Funeral Home

For those wishing to send condolences, the family address is:

135 Larkspur Lane,  Butte, MT 59701

Roderick Montgomery “Rod” “Monty” Duncan, age 87, of Butte, Montana

Obituary

Roderick M Duncan “Rod” “Monty” passed away at home on April 2, 2022.   Rod was born to Judge Philip and Kathryn Duncan in Whitehall, MT on September 27, 1934. 

Rod was raised in Whitehall and graduated from Whitehall High School in 1952.  He attended the US Maritime Academy in Long Island, New York being one of two Montana appointees.  He then attended West Point Military Academy, Western Montana College and The University of Montana earning a bachelor degree in History and Political Science in 1957. 

Rod enlisted in the Air Force in 1957 requesting pilot training.  He was commissioned into the United States Air Force in 1958 as a 2nd Lt Strategic Air Command Team.  He served two tours of duty in Vietnam in 1965 and 1966 as a pilot of KC-135 refueling B-52 Bomber planes.  He discharged in 1967 as a Captain.  He received the United States Air Medal for Meritorious Achievement for his service during this time.

Rod continued his love of aviation as a commercial pilot for Western and Delta Airlines for a total of 28 years as a line pilot/Captain.  He retired in 1994. 

In August 1963 he married Sally A Brooks. Together they raised four children – Teri Eubanks, Debbie Bowman, Melanie Labrum, and Monty Duncan.  They made their home in Orange County California. 

Rod had many hobbies which included fishing, photography, computers, history, building trains, anything to do with aviation, gadgets and “tinkering”. 

In 1997, Rod returned to his Montana roots, renewing old high school friendships where he then became known to all as “Monty”.   He re-ignited a high school prom date crush — Kay (Carmody) Spackman and in 1999 they were married.  Together they rekindled many old friendships and cherished these times.  They made their home in Butte and spent their retirement years traveling as much as humanly possible, enjoying many trips abroad as well as within the United States going coast to coast.  They took every opportunity to visit family and friends and always enjoyed being a part of activities of their large extended family.   Monty was a dedicated supporter of the World Museum of Mining, where he volunteered his extensive photography experience in restoring historical photos.  He loved and supported the arts and the Mother Lode Theatre, he loved Butte, Whitehall and Virginia City history.  He is survived by his wife Kay, and children Teri Eubanks, Debbie (George) Bowman, Melanie Labrum (Craig),  Monty (Candace) Duncan, Darla (Ric) Palmer, Susan (John) Breining, Renee Spackman, Tim Spackman, Kim (Kelly) Hayes, and Jill (Mark) Allen.  He was preceded in death by Kay’s son Jeff Spackman, and great grand-daughter Penelope Hintz and his brother David Duncan. 

He was proud of his blended family where he and Kay are survived by 23 grandchildren and their spouses and 16 great grandchildren.  He is also survived by his sisters Jane Duncan, and her children, Irene (Tom) Erdie and their children and brother-in-law Lee Hurley.

Visitation

Visitation will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 9th at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church on the corner of Caledonia St. and North Western Ave. in Butte.

Funeral Mass

Funeral Mass will begin at 10 am at the church. Rite of Committal with Military Honors will be held at 2:30 pm at the Whitehall Cemetery in Whitehall, Montana. Memorials in honor of Monty are suggested to Jefferson Valley Museum, PO Box 902, Whitehall, MT 59759, or Motherlode Theatre, PO Box 522, Butte, MT 59703, or World Museum of Mining, P.O. Box 33, Butte, MT 59703.

Retired WAL/DAL Captain Lonnie Kuatt, age 90, joined Western Airlines on March 15, 1962, and was based in Denver.

Captain Kuatt suffered a fall on December 28th and succumbed to complications on January 8, 2022.
He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Carol, and by his children Marcia, Rick, and Allen.

Condolences to his family may be sent to:
4460 Hutson Drive
Mount Hood Parkdale, OR
97041-8705  

Thanks to Carol Faulkner for passing this information

Last chance to respond to Wallybird’s invitation is this Monday, July 12th.

Fairview Metropolitan 10051 Doolittle Drive, Oakland

Thursday, July 15 from 1130 til 1400

Spouses and friends invited. Let’s keep The Wallybird alive!!