Departures - 2000
We publish departures based on the year listed in the obituary. If no year is listed then we publish them when they are received.
Col. Thomas William Lanene, Age 81, died Saturday December 23, 2000. He was born in Lane City, Texas on February 28, 1919, the son of Nina Lee Dayvoult and Thomas Whitfield Lane. In 1942, he married Imogene Bramlett Lane, his wife for 54 years, until her death in 1996. Tom Lane attended Schreiner Institute and later graduated from Oklahoma State University with a major in business. He also held a Master’s Degree in meteorology from MIT. A veteran of 30 years in the Air Force, he received multiple honors, including the Bronze Star and the Joint Services Commendation. He entered the Army Air Corps as an Aviation Cadet in 1941 and was commissioned in 1942. In 1945 he was assigned to the 14th Fighter Group in Italy as a P-38 pilot and returned home at the close of the war in Europe. During the Korean Conflict, Tom served as a Material Officer for the 20th Weather Squadron in Japan, where he was responsible for setting up the equipping the weather stations in Korea. He was Commander of the 30th Weather Squadron in Vietnam in 1964-65, during which time the Tonkin Gulf incident occurred. In 1965, Col. Lane became Chief of Operations, 1st Weather Wing, Hickam AFB HI, and two years later he was sent to Offutt AFB, NE to be Chief of Operations Division of the 3rd Weather Wing. Other tours of duty included Randolph AFB, Kelly AFB and Connally AFB Texas, Ft. Monroe VA and Chanute AFB IL. Tours overseas include Italy, Japan, Turkey and Vietnam. His last assignment as at Southwest Texas state University in 1969, where he assumed the position of Professor of Aerospace Studies. He retired in 1973 and remained in San Marcos where he lived and golfed for the next 23 years. There he was a member of the First United Methodist Church (where he was an usher for over 15 years) a former member of Kiwanis Club, past president of the Hill Country Retired Officers Club and former chairman of the San Marcos Heart Association. Colonel Lane lived the last 4 years in San Antonio where he remained very active. His wife, Imogene Bramlett Lane preceded him by four years to the day. Survivors include his daughter, Lee Ann Lane Fillman of the Woodlands TX; his tow grandchildren, Matthew Thomas Fillman and Alice Lane Fillman; and his sister Nina Lee Northington of Wharton, TX. Interment with Military Honors in Ft Sam Houston National Cemetery.
The memorial service for David A. Sankey was at 10:00am, Saturday, Dec 2, 2000.
Location:
Geneva Presbyterian Church
11931 Seven Locks Road
Potomac, Maryland (Montrose Road West Exit)
In lieu of flowers, those who wish to send a remembrance are asked to send it to:
HQ Viriginia Wing
Civil Air Patrol
7401 Airfield Drive
Richmond, VA 23237-2250
Include a note: that it is in memory of Dave Sankey. Dave Sankey was an AWA member, having served in the AWS before joining the FAA. Here is an article from the Washington Post:
Pilot Killed in Crash Was FAA Official
November 20, 2000
With more than 30 years of flying experience and expertise gleaned from his work in the Federal Aviation Administration's weather research programs, David Sankey knew that flying in misty conditions could be hazardous. The 54-year-old pilot had the necessary training when he took off Nov. 9 from the College Park airport in weather considered too poor to fly in without using instruments. He was planning to visit his ailing father in Greenville, S.C., a route he had traveled dozens of times. On Saturday, after an extensive nine-day search, volunteers found Sankey's body and the wreckage of his plane. He apparently had crashed into Bull Mountain, a few miles north of Stuart, Va., said Maj. Jay Langley, who headed the Civil Air Patrol's search efforts in North Carolina. Civil Air Patrol volunteers discovered the burned wreckage of the four-seat Piper Cherokee PA-28 on the side of the mountain about 8:15 p.m., Langley said. Investigators believe Sankey died on impact, Langley said. He said it is still unclear why the plane crashed. Sankey left College Park about 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 9. A light rain was falling and visibility was 2.5 miles with light fog, according to the National Weather Service. The weather was considered "marginal" for flying, Langley said. Under such conditions, all equipment must be working perfectly and the pilot must concentrate intensely, he said. Sankey did have an instrument flight rating, meaning he was certified to fly in such weather by relying on the plane's control panel. Sankey's family was expecting him in Greenville about 9 p.m., and when he didn't show up, they contacted authorities. Sankey didn't file a flight plan, which made the search for his plane difficult, Langley said. Donald Sankey, David Sankey's father and a former flight instructor, said he doesn't think his son would have taken off unless he thought he could handle the weather conditions. "He very carefully evaluated the weather in every case before he took off," he said. "He was a very cautious pilot." Donald Sankey, 77, said he and his late wife, Eleanor, had both been pilots. Ever since he was about 8, their son would ride with them on plane trips. The Cherokee had been his parents' plane, and they had given it to David. Sankey earned his pilot's license when he was about 20, his father said. At the FAA, he worked as a product team leader for the FAA's Weather Sensors and Aviation Weather Research programs. An FAA spokesman declined to comment on Sankey's death, saying that it was the agency's policy not to talk about employees. A recent article in AVweb, an Internet aviation magazine and news service, said Sankey had earned the respect of many people "through his good-natured personality and his self-imposed role to drive the FAA toward providing improved services for the dissemination of weather information to . . .pilots." Judy Hubbard, a family friend and nurse who is caring for Donald Sankey, said that David Sankey would fly to Greenville at least once a month to see his father. He had planned to visit Nov. 9 and to fly in for Thanksgiving as well, she said. She said family and friends were imagining that David Sankey, who always packed extra blankets and bottled water, was only hurt. "He's been a pilot for 30 years; he worked for the FAA," she said. "Maybe he was just hurt somewhere, but they would find him okay. We were just hoping for that." In addition to his father, David Sankey is survived by two daughters and three sisters.
Also see American Meteorological Society necrology for David Sankey
Marjorie Arcella Brick Barnum, wife of 44 years to Col Dale C. Barnum (Ret), passed away on October 11, 2000 after a life-long struggle with heart disease. Marge was born August 20, 1935, in Lake Henry, Minnesota, to Othmar and Ella Brick. She attended schools in Lake Henry and Paynesville, Minnesota, and St Cloud State where she received training for a career in Radiologic Technology. Marge was an X-Ray Technician at St James Hospital in Butte, Montana when she met her future husband, Dale. They were married in the Lake Henry Catholic Church December 29, 1956. They journeyed to Stillwater, Oklahoma, where Dale was stationed with the USAF. During her husband's military career, moving was a way of life, and Marge lived, at various times, in Tacoma, Washington, St Louis, Missouri, Belleville, Illinois, Tokyo, Japan, Scott AFB, Illinois, Andrews AFB, Maryland, Seoul, Korea, Langley AFB, Virginia, and Omaha, Nebraska. After her husband's retirement from the Air Force in 1984, they enjoyed their retirement years at their home in the Quail Creek development near Bellevue, Nebraska, and at their condo in Missoula, Montana. During her years as a military wife, she was an unfailing supporter of her husband's military career, and was always active in efforts to improve the quality of life for the military families wherever they were stationed. She was involved in her church activities, as much as her health would permit, at the Capehart Chapel at Offutt AFB, and later at the new St Matthew's Parish in Bellevue, Nebraska. She was a loving mother with strong convictions about her faith and the sanctity of life, and her kind and gentle demeaner deeply touched the lives of her family and friends. A Mass of the Resurrection was held for Marge on October 14, 2000 at the St Matthew Catholic Church in Bellevue, Nebraska. Interment was in St Margaret's Cemetery in Lake Henry, Minnesota, on October 16, 2000. Survivors include her best friend and husband, Dale, son John of Missoula, Montana, and daughter Barbara of Rowlett, Texas; brothers, Harold of Roseville, Minnesota, and James of Lake Henry, Minnesota; sisters, Ramona Hylla of Sauk Rapids, Minnesota, Marilyn Golembeski, of St Cloud, Minnesota, and Ruth Trageser, of Spicer, Minnesota; numerous nieces, nephews, and Godchildren, and a host of friends at St Matthew's Parish and in the Air Weather Service family around the world. Marge was preceded in death by her parents and two brothers, Eugene and Ralph.
CMSgt Stanley A. Coffman expired on 24 July 2000 in Melbourne Fl. after a long illness. He was 70 years old. Stan was a good friend that worked with me when I was stationed in Spain as the Spanish Weather Liaison Officer. At that time he was a Radiosonde technician for the 21st Weather Squadron in Torrejon Spain. Later he became an excellent technician for the DMSP program and ended his tour in the AF at Scott AFB, at Hq. AWS. He came to Florida to work at Harris Corp. He worked in my Department for several years. He loved to travel with his wife Alice in their RV and has friends all over the country which he visited on a regular basis. Stan loved nature and was an avid rock collector, had a wonderful back yard full of citrus and avocados and was always ready to give you some when you visited him. You can write Alice at: Alice Coffman 1697 Dixie Way Melbourne, Fl 32934
It is with a deep sadness that we are once again faced with the loss of a weather legend. Maj Gen Russell K. Pierce, Jr., a retired Air Weather Service Commander, died Wednesday, 28 June 2000, in San Antonio, Texas. At this time all we know is that his funeral will be Monday with the burial at Ft Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. Maj Gen Pierce, was a "Nebraskan" born in Fremont and a graduate of Fremont High School. He went on to attend Midland College majoring in chemistry and mathematics and joined the Army Air Corps in 1941. He began flight training at Mather Field, Sacramento, California and was commissioned a second lieutenant in March 1942. During WW II, Lieutenant Pierce served with the 98th Bombardment Group as a B-24 pilot and flew over 30 missions. He then became an aircraft instructor pilot and eventually director of flying training at bases in New Mexico and Nebraska. He went through Weather Officer School at Chanute in 1947 and then served as a station weather officer at Lowry Field, Colorado until 1948 when he became Commander of the 19th Weather Squadron, as a 24-year-old major! He spent two years in Tripoli, Libya as Commander of the 29th Weather Squadron and then moved to an assignment with the 1st Weather Group and a short time later became Commander of the 3d Weather Group. Eventually he went on to the position of Commander of the 10th Weather Group and staff weather officer to the Fifth Air Force, Fuchu Air Station, Japan. In October 1960, upon inactivation of the 10th Weather Group, he became commander of the advanced echelon of the 1st Weather Wing at Fuchu. In July 1961, he was transferred as Deputy Commander 3rd Weather Wing, Offutt AFB NE and in July 1963, he took command of the 3rd Weather Wing. When he assumed his final position with Air Weather Service as its Twelfth Commander in October 1965, he became the only commander who had not served as part of the AWS staff first. At age 45 he was promoted to Brigadier General and three years later became a Major General. In July 1970, he was appointed Deputy Commandant, Industrial College of the Armed Forces.
Nicholas John Gavares died Tuesday, July 11, 2000, in Helotes, a suburb of San Antonio, Texas He was born on June 10, 1914 in Chicago, IL. He graduated from the University of Chicago with a BS Degree in chemistry and later studied meteorology at both M.I.T. and the University of Chicago. He served 26 years in the Air Force, mostly in staff and command positions, retiring in 1966 as a Colonel. He then worked for 18 years with Educational Testing Service He is survived by his wife, Annie L. Gavares, daughter, Nicki Jo Messner of Sebring, FL, and two sons, Col Peter M Gavares at the Pentagon, and John Gavares of San Diego, CA, six grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Interment was with full military honors at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.
Col Ralph J. Steele died of a heart attack on Memorial Day 2000. A Funeral service will be on Thursday, 1 June at 4:30 PM at the McHenry Funeral Home in Corvallis, Oregon. Burial will be on Friday, 2 June at 11 AM at the Willamette National Cemetary. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the American Lung Association or each individuals own charity. John Fuller states in his Thor's Legions that Capt Ralph J. Steele won a Bronze Star for duty with the 21st WS in France; the 21st WS was the most decorated unit in WWII. Maj Steele also added an oak leaf cluster to the Bronze Star for weather service in the Korean War where he commanded the Seoul Forecast Center in 1952 "before becoming one of AWS' most vociferous proponents of centralized and computerized forecasting in the late 1960s and 1970s." Col Steele commanded the Air Force Global Weather Central at Offutt from 1965 to 1970 as it transitioned from Det 1, 3rd Weather Wing to AFGWC. He then became the first AWS Deputy Chief of Staff Systems at Scott AFB. Mrs Polly Steele is at 6060 Tokay Place, Corvallis, OR 97330-9504
Jim Van Dyne passed away in Akron, Ohio, on Wednesday, 3 May 2000, after a lengthy illness. It is a great loss to all, especially to the 17th Weather Squadron "Weather Merchants". Jim was the one who got us organized and single-handedly held us together. We will all miss him.
Col (Ret) Lowell A. Stiles of Honolulu, Hawaii, died on 20 April 2000. The funeral will be in Kaneohe, Hawaii on 1 May 2000.
Colonel Mortimer F. Bennet, 75, of Lebanon, IL, born April 25, 1924, in Albion, IN, died Tuesday, April 18, 2000, at Scott Air Force Base Medical Center. Col. Bennet retired from the U.S. Air Force after 35 years of service in many roles including a meteorologist and master navigator. In his retirement, he and his wife operated Bennet’s Scientific, a business that restored and sold antique clocks, barometers, and weather instruments. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Lebanon, IL, past president of the Lebanon Library Board, past president of the Kaskaskia Library Board, past president of the Illinois State Library Trustees, a Paul Harris Fellow with the Lebanon Rotary Club, a life member of the Masonic Lodge, and was a clock maker certified by the American Watchmakers Institute. During his retirement, he served as a Red Cross volunteer at the pharmacy of the Scott Air Force Base Medical Center. Col. Bennet entered the service during World War II in the Horse Cavalry, and transferred into the Army Air Corps. He received a battlefield commission of first lieutenant during that war. Col. Bennet then joined the Air Weather Service as a meteorologist and a command navigator. He served in Bermuda with the Hurricane Hunters in the 1950s. He received a bachelor of science degree from the University of Southern Florida. He served on the founding academic staff of the Air Force Academy teaching meteorology and navigation. Later in his career, Col. Bennet was stationed in many overseas tours of duty including Newfoundland, Bermuda, Korea, Germany, Okinawa, and Vietnam. He served in World War II, Korean War, and the Vietnam conflict. In Vietnam, Col. Bennet commanded the 1st Weather Group responsible for providing all meteorological support in S. E. Asia to U. S. and Allied forces. In addition, Col. Bennet served tours of duty at Scott AFB at HQ Air Weather Service. During the last part of his career, Col. Bennet was a senior Department of Defense environmental official responsible to the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon. He represented the United States in environmental affairs as a representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in The Hague, Belgium. He was preceded in death by his parents, Minnie Mae, nee Brown, and Mortimer F. Bennet Sr. of Albion, IN, and a sister, Eunice Bennet Luther, also of Albion, IN. Surviving are his wife, A. Geneva, nee Schmid, Bennet of Lebanon, IL, whom he married in 1944, two children, Dr. Michelle Bennet of Boston, MA, and Kevin Bennet of Rochester, MN, a brother, Luther Bennet of Kirkwood, MO, and many nieces and nephews. Memorials may be made to the Memorial Scholarship Fund in memory of Mortimer Bennet, at the First United Methodist Church, 603 W. St Louis Street, Lebanon, IL 62254. Funeral: Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 22, 2000, at the First United Methodist Church, Lebanon, IL. Interment will be in Arlington National Cemetery, Washington, D.C., with full military honors.
Frances Dvorak Eckmann, wife of Lt Col Frederick C. Eckmann, USAF Retired, passed away quietly at home, on 18 March 2000, after a long illness. During her career as an Air Force wife, she volunteered in several American Red Cross units, at Bases in the countries of Panama, Newfoundland and Japan. In Tokyo, she helped form the "Far East Women's Club - Japan" and became its first President. After leaving the Air Force in 1968, the Eckmanns lived and worked in Houston, Texas. Fran, as she was known, became interested in the local and State "PBX Clubs", rising to President of the Texas group. She worked as chief PBXer at several companies in Houston, notably MD Anderson Hospital. Retiring in Las Vegas in 1985, Fran studied Hotel courses at UNLV. In addition, she served a tour on the Las Vegas Senior Citizens Advisory Board and also volunteered again with the ARC at Las Vegas at the Nellis AFB Hospital. The Retired Officers Wives Club saw a winner and she was soon brought in and moved up the chairs to President. Fran is survived by her husband Frederick, her son Lyle of Dallas and two daughters: Lee Dotson of Las Vegas and Louise Strawderman of Luray, Virginia.
Richard Dean Stonemark, Lieutenant Colonel, US Air Force, retired, 59, of Belleville, IL, born Sept 22, 1940, in Ironwood, MI, died of cancer Friday, March 17, 2000, at his residence. Mr. Stonemark served in the US Air Force for 25 years in Air Weather Service and the Military Airlift Command. He earned his bachelor of science degree at Michigan Technological University; attended graduate school at St. Louis University studying meteorology; and received a master's degree from Auburn University. For the past 15 years, he has been active in the real estate community, as an agent, broker and member of the board of directors of the Belleville Area Association of Realtors. He served as president of the board in 1998. At the time of his death, he was a broker and manager for Coldwell Banker Brown Realtors, O'Fallon, IL. Mr. Stonemark was preceded in death by his parents, Howard and Ardeth, nee Nelson, Stonemark Surviving are his wife of 34 years, Patricia E., nee Butler, Stonemark; two sons, David R. (Kathleen) Stonemark of Panama City Beach, FL, and Robert H. (Carolyn) Stonemark of Omaha, NE; two grandchildren, Kelly Ann Stonemark of Panama City Beach, FL, and Emma Megan Stonemark of Omaha, NE; a special aunt, Kay Stonemark of Duluth, MI; and several cousins. Dick's visitation will be 5 to 7 pm Monday, March 20 at George Renner and Sons Funeral Home in downtown Belleville, IL. The funeral will be 9:30 am Tuesday, March 21 at the same place with interment at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in Saint Louis, MO.