Warbird Information Exchange

One of the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome band of pilots and aircraft builders has left us. Richard A. King
MILAN - Richard A. King, 74, passed away Sunday, June 24, 2007 at Northern Dutchess Hospital. Mr. King attended school in Herkimer, NY, but graduated from West Canada Valley Central School in June of 1950, where he was a member of the Varsity Basketball and Baseball teams. He was an accomplished artist and upon graduation from State University New Paltz, he taught for three years at Copenhagen Central School District. His lifelong dream to fly led him to the Rhinebeck area in the spring of 1959 to join the staff as an Art Teacher at Franklin D. Roosevelt High School, and to join in with workers of the newly forming Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome Museum. He taught at Roosevelt High School for thirty-two years, retiring in 1991. He began flying at the aerodrome in 1959 and continued to do so until the fall of 1998. He held a Commercial Pilot's license and amassed more than ten thousand flying hours on aircraft designed or built between 1909 and 1939, while flying in the air shows at Old Rhinebeck. He wrote a comprehensive book, "The Skies Over Rhinebeck, a Pilot's Story," about his flying experiences at Old Rhinebeck that was published in 1998. Born August 13, 1932, in Herkimer, NY, he was the son of William and Evelyn ( Davis ) King. Mr. King is survived by his wife Virginia, four children, Matthew and his wife Vicki of Tivoli, NY; Lt. Colonel Robin King, U.S. Army, and her husband Dave Smith , now stationed in Kaiserslautern, Germany; Lori and Lance Call of Queen Creek, AZ; and Geoffrey and Karin King of Bethany, CT. Also surviving are two stepchildren, Debbie and her husband Jamie Ranicar of North Granby, CT and David Groves of Milford, CT; fourteen grandchildren, Jared, Julie, Skyler, Ryan, Mallory, Camille, Aaron, Chris, Jessica, Tyler, Justin, Ben, Lucas and Josie; three great grandchildren, Cecilia, Madsen and Olive; a brother William of Valley Cottage, NY; two sisters, Laurie Swiger of Herkimer, NY, and Mary Hart of Nashville, TN; and several nieces and nephews. He was pre deceased by a brother Ted and a sister Ester. Calling hours are Wednesday, 5 to 8 PM at the Dapson-Chestney Funeral Home, 51 W. Market St., Rhinebeck. Funeral Services are Thursday, 10 AM, at the Red Hook United Methodist Church, West Market St., Red Hook. Interment will be in the Elizaville Cemetery. Memorial Contributions may be made to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, 1332 North Halsted Street, Suite 201, Chicago, Illinois 60622, pulomonaryfibrosis.org. To sign the online register please visit www.dapsonchestney.com.

Bless you sir, and God's Speed

Dick took me on several "bombing missions" during the airshows at Rhinebeck. Great gentleman. I will miss him.
Goodspeed Dick.
Jerry

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"Always remember that, when you enter the ocean or the forest, you are no longer at the top of the food chain."

I was a student at Franklin Delano Roosevelt high school in Hyde Park. Mr. King was my favorite teacher there. I always thought it was so cool that my art teacher flew airplanes in his free time. He was a really great man.