Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Spaulding, Richard "Dick" Lee May 4, 2016 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Pat Currigan currigan1932@comcast.net July 2, 2020, 7:41 pm Ionia Sentinel Standard- Sat. May 21, 2016 RICHARD "DICK" LEE SPAULDING 1929-2016 Colonel Richard "Dick" Lee Spaulding, USAF (retired), of Potomac, MD, passed away peacefully on May 4, 2016 surrounded by his family. He was born on Feb. 11, 1929, to Gerald and Estelle Spaulding in Lansing, Michigan. Colonel Spaulding graduated from Ionia High School and continued on to the University of Michigan. From Ann Arbor, he enlisted in the United States Air Force. He qualified for pilot training and in 1952 was commissioned to 2nd Lieutenant and received his pilot wings for jet fighters. He was sent to Korea that same year as a member of the 49th Fighter Bomber Group and flew F-84's in combat. He flew many missions in Korea one being the longest Jet-bombing mission in history. His awards included the Air Force medal with three Oak Leaf clusters and the Presidential Unit Citation. After his Korean tour of duty, he worked in the secretary of the Air force's Public relations Office in New York City. He retire from active duty in 1958 and continued on in the Air Force reserve until his retirement in 1981. He was active in the airline industry, working for Boreas Corporation, Fairchild Aircraft, Allegheny Airlines and USAir. At USAir, he was President of USAIR Leasing and Services Inc. Upon his retirement, he founded Spaulding Aviation, an independent consulting company dealing in the sales and leasing of aircraft around the world. The United Nations was one of his key customers. He was a member and served a term on the board of the New York Wings Club. His love for his hometown of Ionia was recognized in 1983 when he was asked to be the Grand Marshall of the Ionia free fair, the largest free fair in the country. He was a longtime patron of the New York Pops. He was also an avid sports fan supporting NY Giants and Michigan Wolverines football, as well as Georgetown Hoya basketball. Surviving include his wife of 61 years, Marie. five children; Carol (Mark) Eiseman, Sandy Spaulding, Susan Spaulding, Janet (Bud) Frega and Richard (Sharon) Spaulding. Eight wonderful grandchildren; Krystin (Colman) McGahan, Mark (Allie) Eiseman, Rich (Rada) Eiseman, Jessica Eiseman, Brittany and Connor Spaulding, Jenna and Jill Frega. He was also blessed with five great- grandchildren; Sawyer, Jaxon and Hadley McGahan and Evelyn and Theodore Eiseman. He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers; George and Jerry "Omar" Spaulding and sister Helen Spaulding Lockwood. Services will be held at Ft. Myer Chapel, interment at Arlington National Cemetery with full Military honors at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be sent to Montgomery hospice, 1335 Piccard drive, Suite 100, Rockville, MD 20850 or the Air Force Association, 1501 Lee Highway, Arlington, VA 22209-1198. Please view and sign family guestbook at www.pumphreyfuneralhome.com File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/ionia/obits/s/spauldin37442nob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/mifiles/ File size: 3.5 Kb