~ IN MEMORY ~
NWA Capt. Roscoe Morton
December 10, 1931 ~ June 15, 2013
Captain Morton hired on with Southern, progressed through the mergers, and retired with Northwest. ALPA records indicate he retired as a NWA Captain at the mandatory age 60,
December 1991.
Thank you,
~ Carol
Roscoe Morton, pilot, beloved EAA announcer
dies
June 19, 2013
By Dan Namowitz
Roscoe Morton, long the lead voice of the Experimental
Aircraft Association’s summer celebrations, whose life story in aviation earned
him honors as the “essence of EAA,” has died. He was 81.
An Air Force veteran, flight instructor, aerobatic team
captain, and airline pilot who once worked as a train locomotive fireman to pay
for flight lessons, Morton once explained that he loved his work as chief
announcer at EAA AirVenture, and interviewing aviation performers and
personalities, because the dialogs helped audiences appreciate what aviators
do.
Appearing on AOPA Live in 2012, Morton recalled how his
aviation announcing role evolved over 50 years, moved forward by requests from
well-known performers for him to call their shows. He also recounted how
AirVenture has grown from “a small fly-in to the world’s largest aviation event”
that he would not miss “for anything.” Morton was also the announcer chairman at
Sun 'n Fun in Lakeland, Fla., a member of its board of directors, and served as
announcer at many other aviation events in the U.S. and abroad.
In 2009, Morton’s fond presence on the general aviation
scene earned him the EAA President's Award, by which the organization seeks to
honor “members whose participation and contributions represent the essence of
EAA.”
“Roscoe Morton has been the voice of EAA and the public
address system for decades,” said EAA Founder Paul Poberezny, presenting the
award. “He not only does a great job in organizing our airshow announcers and
activities, but he has done so for a long time.”
EAA’s tribute noted that Morton “began his aviation career
by soloing—illegally—at age 15 in 1947,” later served with the Air Force in the
Korean Conflict, became an airline pilot, retiring from Southern Airways (now Delta Air Lines) as a
Boeing 747 captain. He captained the U.S. Aerobatic Team
three times in world competition, and also wrote an aerobatics book of
rules.
According to an obituary posted by a funeral home
in Lake Wales, Fla., Morton was born Dec. 10, 1931, in Elk Falls, Kan., where a
funeral and interment were to take place.
Morton is survived by his wife Virginia; a son, Roscoe J.
and wife, Lisa Morton of Commerce, Mich.; a sister, Suzanne M. Wyatt of Fort
Worth, Texas; and three grandchildren, the obituary said.
Roscoe D. Morton
(December 10, 1931 - June 15, 2013)
Roscoe D. Morton of Frostproof
passed away Saturday, June 15, 2013 at his residence.
He was born December 10, 1931 in Elk Falls, KS to the late
Raymond G. & Grace E. Morton. Roscoe began his aviation career by soloing in
1947 at the age 15. He was a United States Air Force veteran of the Korean
Conflict. Flight instructing, agricultural and executive flying led to his
airline career with Southern Airways in
1959, presently known as Delta Airlines. A former chief pilot and check airman,
Roscoe retired as a Boeing 747 International Captain. He was the Chairman of the
Announcers, and has been for numerous years at the Experimental Aircraft
Association Airventure at Rockford and Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He was also Chairman
of the Announcers at Sun’N’Fun in Lakeland and was a member of the Board of
Directors at Sun’N’Fun. Roscoe received many awards over the years and announced
at many events in the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia.
Survivors include his wife of 11 years, Virginia “Jinny”
Morton; son, Roscoe J. and wife, Lisa Morton of Commerce, MI; sister, Suzanne M.
Wyatt of Fort Worth, TX; and three grandchildren, Taylor, Madison and
Will.
Funeral service was held 1:00 pm Thursday, June 20, 2013
at the Elk Falls Methodist Church. Interment followed at the Elk Falls Cemetery
under the direction of Countryside-Zimmerman Funeral Home.
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